Lu Mingfei, why are you slaying dragons if you're not involved!

Chapter 203 The Cunning, Reserved, and Gossipy Senior Brother Chu

"Didn't you sleep well?"

It was a long-awaited dream, and it was still related to that kind of thing... Even after washing up, changing clothes, and going out, Lu Mingfei was still a little dazed.

Lu Mingfei was surprised that Zero noticed his momentary lapse in concentration. When he came to his senses, he looked at Zero, who was tilting his head slightly to look at him, and his expression turned strange.

It is said that it is difficult to feel the sensation of dreaming unless you have experienced it yourself, and you may automatically wake up at critical moments due to "missing materials and rendering failure".

This is also why many students fail to keep up at crucial moments.

But this time, the kiss in his dream felt so real... The only person Lu Mingfei has ever kissed in his life is Zero. Doesn't that mean that if it weren't for that kiss the night before last adding storage data to his material library, he would have "failed to render" back then?
This made Lu Mingfei's gaze towards Zero somewhat uneasy. "Using your feelings to imagine yourself with other people in your dreams"... that's a bit strange, isn't it? And it seems to be more than just strange!
"No, no, I slept soundly!"

The voice was slightly hesitant in the reply, but it was ultimately the truth. Dreaming while sleeping doesn't necessarily mean poor sleep quality, because dreaming usually occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage, which is necessary to fall asleep.

To judge whether you slept well, you only need to see if you are still sleepy when you wake up. Lu Mingfei's mental state is as full as ever.

"it is good."

Zero stopped dwelling on that point.

As they were talking, the two of them went downstairs one after the other as usual, changed into sneakers, and set off.

It was past four in the morning, and all around was quiet. Not only could you hear footsteps, but even your heartbeat and breathing were almost audible. A thin, misty white fog hung almost motionless in the windless air, and a thin layer of frost covered the ground, shimmering with undulating golden light under the dim streetlights. As the two ran, soft, frequent "crunching" sounds filled the air, the fog churning, as if the entire frozen world had begun to come alive with the arrival of the boy and girl.

Day fourteen has begun!

……

"Is today the day of the official operation?"

Ling asked indifferently, saying that this level of running was nothing to her physical fitness and wouldn't even affect the frequency and tone of her speech.

"Ha...yes..."

Lu Mingfei was different. He was panting heavily, not exactly at ease, but not completely exhausted either. He was maintaining a speed just above the "maximum aerobic capacity line," achieving maximum training effect while continuing to persevere.

Logically, the action plan should be kept secret. But there was no need to keep it a secret from Zero. First, he was one of their own, and second... he hadn't mentioned it, so if Zero said so, he must have known about it all along.

It's just unclear why Zero brought this up at this time.

"There is someone you might meet during this operation, or you might not."

Zero spoke with virtually no change in tone or expression. It was hard to tell whether the surrounding environment was colder or she was more like an iceberg, but Lu Mingfei was already used to it.

“She is with us, and her stance is the same as Su Enxi’s.”

Lu Mingfei knew exactly who Su Enxi was. As for the so-called "housekeeper," according to Ling, she was in charge of logistics and commanding operations. Their last meeting was a purely accidental field mission.

According to Zero's previous statement—

“No… not a complete enemy, mostly an ally, but… we still need to be wary?” Lu Mingfei asked breathlessly.

"correct."

"Who is this person? How can I recognize them?"

Lu Mingfei understood. Zero was worried that if they met unexpectedly and ended up fighting before they could even verify each other's identities, the consequences would be dire. So he was giving him a heads-up beforehand.

"A woman named Mai Shude, we call her 'Long-Legged Girl'."

Ling said casually, "It's easy to spot. Just throw him into a crowd, and the one whose figure can't be hidden even by a sack is him."

"If it's really that outrageous, then it's indeed very difficult not to recognize it..."

After subconsciously making a sarcastic remark, Lu Mingfei frowned slightly. "However, Mai Shude... why does this name sound familiar? It seems like I've heard it somewhere before."

"Have you heard of it?"

Ling slightly tilted her head. "Given her mission, she shouldn't have had any direct interaction with you so far."

“That’s right. If it’s really as obvious as you say… I shouldn’t be able to forget.”

Lu Mingfei tried to think carefully and recall. Generally speaking, his intuition was very accurate, and he rarely made mistakes, so he must have encountered or heard something similar somewhere before...

akin……

His eyes lit up, as if lightning had struck his mind.

"I remembered!"

……

"Wine Deyaji!"

Ye Sheng smiled... no, it was hard to call it a smile when he smiled so much that he revealed a set of neat, white teeth. In short, he was smiling very happily as he introduced the girl next to him with a gentle and sweet smile.

“She was my classmate at Kassel College, and also my regular partner in the Executive Department. Yesterday she was feeling a little unwell due to the change in environment, so she didn't go with Nono…”

"Hello~ Junior Brother Lu Mingfei, right?"

Jiu Deya greeted Lu Mingfei with a smile; her smile had an older sisterly warmth.

"You're the first person to cause such a stir on the Night Watchers forum before even enrolling. You truly deserve your S-rank."

"No, no, it's not what I want to do..."

Lu Mingfei snapped out of his daze and subconsciously answered while glancing around.

It was already past eight in the morning. After he and Ling finished their morning run and returned home, he studied for a while and then had breakfast. As expected, a call came from Chu Zihang.

Before an operation, a mobilization is necessary to count heads and plan the operation. They can't wait until the scene to begin these preparations, and their mobilization point for this operation... is the airport.

At the city airport, beneath the massive steel dome of Terminal 3, the morning light at eight o'clock was still chilly and thin, as if frozen, barely seeping through the towering glass curtain walls only to be drowned out by the brighter electric lights. Outside, it was deep winter, and a greyish-white chill clung to the ground. The tarmac was deserted and somewhat desolate, with the massive silhouettes of several planes appearing and disappearing in the thin mist in the distance; the roar of their engines, filtered by distance and glass, was reduced to a low, continuous hum.

Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang, Ye Sheng, Jiu Deya, Nuonuo, Su Xi, and others stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, with the gleaming marble floor beneath their feet. People came and went in a hurry, dragging huge suitcases, their faces showing either travel fatigue or anticipation of their destination.

At the nearest parking spot, a plane sat quietly. It wore Air China's standard livery, and the dark red phoenix logo on its deep blue tail looked somewhat somber in the hazy sky.

The aircraft was a Boeing 737-700 with sleek lines. This was their "special plane" to their destination. Of course, it wasn't just these few people; there were also other staff members from the International Cooperation Division traveling with them.

The tomb of Xiang Yu, which was accidentally discovered by Teacher Zhang when he jumped off a cliff, is located in the Dabie Mountains in western Anhui Province. Taking the train would be too time-consuming, and transporting it by helicopter would be too troublesome and inefficient. Moreover, the situation was not urgent enough to require the use of military transport planes, so it would be better to charter a plane directly.

"Really not?" Shutoku Aki asked curiously.

"Of course! Senior sister, tell me, is there any student in the world more well-behaved than me? I'm being persecuted by villains!"

Lu Mingfei spoke indignantly, his gaze drifting over the staff of the Foreign Cooperation Division who were constantly registering.

"I remember there was a guy named Fingel in the task force, right? He's the one who made me famous! Where is he?"

“Finger didn’t come by plane; he took the train to his destination yesterday.” Ye Sheng scratched his head. “Now it seems… he probably anticipated what you were going to do?”

"He may be fast, but he can't hide forever! I don't believe he won't show up when the time comes..." Lu Mingfei smiled, a hint of gritted teeth in his expression.

He couldn't really say anything about simply sharing gossip; after all, the facts were right in front of people, and you couldn't expect them to stop enjoying the gossip. But making money from it was a completely different matter.

They're using me to make money, and they won't even give me a share! Isn't that treating me like free labor?

Ye Sheng remained silent, thinking that Fingel might not actually show up... Among the action team sent by Kassel College, Fingel's status and treatment were the most special; he had the authority to act independently. This was not only confirmed by Professor Schneider, but even Teacher Zhang Shanfeng agreed.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to have the other party take the train to their destination a day in advance, would it?

"Speaking of which, Senior Sister Aki, are you also experiencing problems adjusting to the new environment?"

Lu Mingfei looked at Ye Sheng with a strange expression. "That Senior Brother Ye Sheng, who was in charge of reception, didn't do a good job of providing hospitality..."

He was quite aware of Ye Sheng's "secret relationship" with this senior sister. Thinking about it, it was hard to say what kind of things the lovers had been entertaining each other after being separated for a while.

Anyway, Lu Mingfei didn't believe in the idea of ​​"acclimatization problems". Yesterday, Chu Zihang was weak and powerless due to a cold, and Nuonuo was pale and had a cold. It was one thing, but now Jiu Deyaji was suffering from acclimatization problems? Did all the physical abilities of you high-level hybrids suddenly disappear?

What a flexible immune mechanism!
"Hahaha..." Ye Sheng chuckled awkwardly.

"Alright, is everyone here?"

Fortunately, Zhang Shanfeng happened to walk over at that moment. After scanning the area, he nodded in satisfaction and called for boarding.

Ye Sheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance with Jiu Deya, and then both moved away somewhat awkwardly... At least for now, his transfer to a clerical position had not been approved, and in order not to be broken up in violation of the regulations, he still had to be a little careful.

……

"Senior brother, are you feeling better from your cold?"

Lu Mingfei winked and moved closer to Chu Zihang, his teasing tone practically blatant.

"All right."

Chu Zihang answered coldly with a blank expression, trying to put on the airs of a "cool and aloof senior brother" to steer the conversation away from the matter. However, Lu Mingfei knew this demeanor all too well, so it had no effect whatsoever.

In fact, he had a vague idea about his "weakness" yesterday, but after taking various precautions based on that guess, he found nothing. And after waking up today, that feeling of weakness finally disappeared.

If I had to say, there's another possibility...

Chu Zihang thought to himself, could this be the reason why he didn't practice Blood Explosion yesterday, nor did he experience the symptoms of uncontrollable Dragon Blood agitation and the inability to extinguish his Golden Eyes?

"Oh, that's good. Senior brother, you still need to take care of your health."

Lu Mingfei spoke in a serious tone, his voice low. If Chu Zihang hadn't known him so well, anyone else would probably have thought it was just normal concern.

But this person is Lu Mingfei.

He's definitely thinking the wrong thing!

Chu Zihang remained silent. At this point, any explanation was pointless, as he had no way to prove anything. Knowing Lu Mingfei as he did, the only way to resolve the situation was to change the subject, but to talk about the subject…

They finally boarded the plane. Since it was a charter flight, no seats were assigned. Lu Mingfei almost instinctively prepared to sit with Chu Zihang.

But at this moment——

"Hey, President, could we switch seats?"

Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang turned their heads at the same time. In fact, they didn't need to turn their heads to recognize whose voice it was, but the other party's arrival was too unexpected.

"Look, it seems your vice president has some work-related matters to discuss with you."

Nono casually pointed to Susie, who was a few rows behind and trying to bury her face in the back of her chair. Although she was talking to Chu Zihang, she wasn't looking at him, but rather glancing sideways at Lu Mingfei. The sterling silver four-leaf clover pendant on her earlobe swayed precariously, the tiny diamonds embedded in it dazzlingly bright.

The panic that I felt yesterday, which I couldn't help but feel when we just looked at each other, has now vanished without a trace, and I seem quite indifferent.

Lu Mingfei instinctively opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped himself. Firstly, although Nuonuo was looking at him, she wasn't actually asking him a question. Secondly, he felt that Chu Zihang, as the president of the Lionheart Society, must know Nuonuo's identity and her purpose in coming!
"What vice president wants to discuss work? Isn't he just trying to seduce you, president? This vice president is already colluding with the enemy to get the president! As president, you have to clean house in this situation! No, the most important thing right now is to absolutely not fall into their trap. They're definitely trying to win me over. I can't agree to this and end up aiding the enemy!"

A flurry of thoughts raced through Lu Mingfei's mind. Logically, Chu Zihang wouldn't agree. But unfortunately, it was clear that there wasn't a single normal person among those present.

Moreover, based on his understanding of Chu Zihang, after that round of teasing, and Chu Zihang's seemingly cold exterior but actually cunning, sly, and gossipy nature...

"it is good."

Chu Zihang agreed almost without thinking, picked up his luggage, left Lu Mingfei behind, and headed towards Su Xi's side.

really!

Lu Mingfei's eyes twitched slightly... Even without the teasing just now, his senior brother would have loved to watch the drama unfold, right?
(End of this chapter)