Dragon Clan: I am Lu Mingfei, the Intelligence Strategist, the God of Concepts!

Chapter 132 Tokyo Love Story (6.3k)

The rear cargo bed of the extended Hummer SUV
Su Enxi, wearing her rather approachable black-rimmed glasses, was curled up at one end of the large sofa.
She quickly scribbled on the paper with one hand, while holding the car phone in the other, issuing one instruction after another in a concise manner, her tone sometimes stern and sometimes persuasive.

At the other end of the sofa, Lu Mingfei, wearing an eye mask and earplugs, was fast asleep with a clean, breathable blanket covering his upper body and head.

One works, the other rests, and the two do not disturb each other.

That's right.

They reconciled.

With Lu Mingze's personal account, the atmosphere, which had been one of mutual bluster, became more relaxed and pleasant.

Potato Chip Girl has the soul of an old auntie inside her, coupled with her sweet appearance, making it too easy for her to please anyone. She'll serve tea and water, and finally apologize with coquettishness and a little white lie.

This smooth little combo...

Lu Mingfei was initially a little angry, but after thinking it over, he decided not to take it out on her—it had nothing to do with the hardship finally coming to an end; it was all thanks to his own efforts.
The main problem is that there's no need to make things difficult for working people. If there's a problem, we should be pointing the finger at the boss behind the scenes and beating him up!

Let's talk about it after we catch Lu Mingze's true form.

Lu Mingfei now strongly suspects that the guy was afraid of being caught and beaten again, so he pretended to be in a demonic disintegration pose at the end.

The principle remains the same—escaping may be shameful, but it can be very useful.

As dusk fell, the speeding SUV finally came to a stop.

As the brakes were slowly applied, the slight inertia caused the two of them to sway involuntarily.

Lu Mingfei's steady breathing in his sleep paused, as he subconsciously sensed the changes in his external environment.

"Brother Rabbit, we've arrived."

Su Enxi had just finished her last phone call and poked Lu Mingfei's shoulder, which was hidden under his clothes, with the cap of her pen.

"Well--"

Lu Mingfei slowly sat up, removed the blanket that emitted a faint calming aromatherapy scent, and then took off the steam eye mask and earplugs.

His eyes were bright and alert, and the weariness between his brows had vanished.

It must be said that the men under the prison guard...
And his subordinates' subordinates are all highly professional.

He slept so soundly and deeply that he didn't even realize he was on a long-distance bus. He felt completely recharged and could swim another 100 kilometers in the sea.

As soon as I opened the car door, I heard the sound of the tide. There was no sea in sight; it was separated from the sea by a mountain. The sound of the tide seemed to echo between heaven and earth.

It seems the location is correct, just like what was said online.

"Here, your wallet and phone contain your new identity. Since you're planning a trip, feel free to explore on your own. Just leave the car here. I won't accompany you; I don't know much about this. How about I call some companions for you?"

"No thanks."

Lu Mingfei shook his head.

“Okay, call me anytime if anything happens.” Su Enxi yawned and gestured with a microphone.

She was a little tired after working all night and decided to rest in the car for a while.

"Ok."

Lu Mingfei opened his backpack and glanced at it briefly.

The equipment was complete: flashlight, map, compass, ID, mobile phone, and Beretta.

Chip Girl was very efficient. After leaving the town in the morning, she first took Lu Mingfei to a company's headquarters, gave him a good shower, and then presented him with his new identity.

Lu Mingfei's new identity is Sato Chisaki, seventeen years old. It sounds like a girl from an anime. Her appearance in the photos is hard to describe, but she has a clear and pure face with porcelain-white and delicate skin, exquisite and harmonious features, and no trace of acne. Her brows give people a feeling of fragility...

Like a white cherry blossom swaying in the wind and rain.

It's not that he doesn't resemble Lu Mingfei at all... at least he looks a bit more like him than in the wanted poster photo, probably because the beauty filters and skin smoothing have been turned up to level 9.

The main difference lies in their temperament.

However, it wasn't difficult for Lu Mingfei to play this role; it was just an ID photo. Besides, nine out of ten characters in anime who look like this are actually different from their real selves, so he could just play himself.

Then Chip Girl asked Lu Mingfei what his plans were for the future.

She offered two ideas.

Alternatively, you can rest for a few days at the company's headquarters, where she can arrange everything from food and drinks to entertainment.
Alternatively, she could take them out for some exercise, but until the issue of the wanted poster was resolved, it was best not to venture deep into Honshu Island—that was the stronghold of the Snake Clan.

Lu Mingfei naturally chose the latter.

Since we're already here, it's like going on a vacation; there's no reason to stay in the hotel all day long...

‘Shua——’

Lu Mingfei zipped up his backpack and jumped out of the Hummer SUV.

Say goodbye to the potato chip girl who was lying down fully clothed, and head towards a seaside town not far away.

The sign in front of the town reads "Meijutsuji-cho".

The town's streets still feel like they were built in the 1950s, with wooden Japanese-style houses on both sides. The roofs are gabled with a 60-degree angle, and this mortise and tenon structure prevents the roofs from collapsing under the weight of snow.

Various tofu shops and batik shops have blue batik signs hanging in front of them, and occasionally there are modern buildings, which are just small two- or three-story buildings.

This is a charming town in Shikoku, located in Ehime Prefecture at the southwestern tip of Shikoku Island.

It's the season when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and clusters of cherry trees are planted between the buildings.

Everything is just like in Japanese manga.

Before he came, his Japanese teacher told him that if he wanted to see cherry blossoms in Japan, he should keep the 'peak bloom' period in mind instead of the 'first bloom' period, because cherry blossoms only last about a week from 'blooming' to 'fully blooming'.

In southern Kyushu, the Fukuoka and Kagoshima areas, and the Ehime and Kochi areas of Shikoku, it is usually from late March to early April, which is now.

Meanwhile, core cities in the Kansai and Kanto regions, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, need to wait for ocean currents and monsoons to gradually warm the air, around early to mid-April. Aomori, Sendai, and Sapporo in Hokkaido will have to wait until May.

Lu Mingfei was visiting Meijinji Town for the first time, but he was very familiar with the town. He wandered through the narrow streets as if he were back home.

He eventually reached the edge of the town and arrived at a station on the coastal railway.

The small station was deserted, surrounded by white railings with signs reading "Meijinji Station" and "[Tokyo Love Story] Rokechi" (filming location of Tokyo Love Story).

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but smile.

This was his true destination.

Eighteen years ago, the year he was born, a film called "Tokyo Love Story" swept Japan. When it premiered, the average viewership rating in the Kanto region reached 22.9%, and the finale set a record of 32.3%, directly causing the Ginza office district in Tokyo to be deserted during the broadcast time.

It is hailed as a landmark work of the golden age of Japanese dramas in the 90s.

Five years later, "Tokyo Love Story" was introduced to China and became a hit on the streets along with the song "Love Story Suddenly Happened" written by Kazumasa Oda.

This drama was once Lu Mingfei's favorite. He almost cried while watching it. He searched for information about Ehime Prefecture online and eventually learned that the ending scene was filmed in this town of Meijinji.

This place was one of the plans for his trip, and it was on par with Akihabara in terms of priority.

Some say that revisiting a familiar place is like trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat, but Lu Mingfei, who was here for the first time, felt a sense of familiarity from the bottom of his heart.

The magic of that old TV series has long since faded, and newer, more interesting shows have taken over the television screen.

The sacred place once visited by Japanese men and women for love has fallen into disrepair over time. Who knows when we'll see a nostalgic lunatic like Lu Mingfei again... and he's even a foreigner!
He gazed silently at the horizon where the sky met the sea, the enormous sun touching the surface, tens of millions of tons of water rippling slowly beneath his feet, the tide breaking into white splashes beneath the black cliffs.

This is the most beautiful place in Japan in Lu Mingfei's mind.
All was quiet.

Lu Mingfei gradually realized that something was wrong.

It seems there's a major flaw in my travel plans!
"Damn it, what am I supposed to do by coming alone?" He suddenly laughed and muttered a curse under his breath.

When you come to a romantic spot like this, of course you need to have a girl by your side!

Whether it's one or two! The point is, you absolutely have to have a girl.

The most important thing is... it's not like he doesn't have girls!
The lonely sea breeze caressed his skin, and Lu Mingfei suddenly felt as if ants were crawling all over his body.

Coming here at this time was a complete mistake!
Of course, it's absolutely impossible to go back and bring back the potato chip girl to fill in now. That sleazy old lady doesn't understand what love is at all. All she talks about is "dots" and "dots." She seems like the kind of person who really likes going to host clubs and might even invest in two host clubs herself.

Just then, a slow yellow train rumbled past on the coastal tracks.

Lu Mingfei has excellent eyesight. This train is exactly the same as the one that Akana Rika rode in "Tokyo Love Story". Through the window, he can vaguely see the polished plastic benches reflecting the light and shimmering. There are stills from "Tokyo Love Story" hanging on the wall.

"Never mind, I'll bring them next time I come."

Lu Mingfei took several photos carefully.
Then they left with regret.

……

Back in town, the sun had completely set.
In Tokyo, the streets would be bustling at this time of day, but in this seaside town, there are hardly any people on the streets, except for elementary school students who have just finished eating dinner and are running around in their school uniforms.

Lu Mingfei sent the photos he had just taken at the train station to a small group chat of three people.
He arrogantly declared that he would definitely find an opportunity to bring two other group members along in the future.

Then I promptly turned off my phone.

I didn't dare watch the bloodshed inside anymore.

While wandering around alone, Lu Mingfei unexpectedly found a console game arcade on the street.

Suddenly, I felt a slight itch in my hands.

I haven't played PS games in a long time; I've been playing on PC for a while now. But honestly, the gamepad design makes the game much more enjoyable than the keyboard and mouse.

There weren't many people in the console gaming room. Lu Mingfei paid and randomly picked a PS3.

Musou Orochi... Yakuza: Kenzan...

There are quite a few games loaded inside, many of which are new releases this year. However, these games require a lot of time for an immersive experience, which is obviously not possible right now.

"Let's play something more competitive,"

After browsing through various classic game IPs, Lu Mingfei chose Street Fighter IV.

This is a super classic old game. Back when I was in the arcade in Binhai, every big block coin-operated machine had it.

Even if you haven't played it, you know that Uncle Long cosplayed Chun-Li's beautiful legs.

This game was only released in arcades last year, but it's now available on consoles this year. You can play against each other on PSN – the PlayStation Network, Sony's online service platform launched with the PS3 – so your opponents are no longer limited to the same console, but can be matched with anyone in Japan, or even other countries and regions.

"Playing away from home, I hope they can increase the intensity of the game."

Lu Mingfei re-registered his PSN account. The moment he picked up the controller, his muscles vibrated as if by a conditioned reflex. He had always been good at gaming, because it was the only thing he was interested in before.

No matter what type of game it is, Lu Mingfei can master it very quickly. Of course, StarCraft is still his strongest game, but he is not bad at other games either. Whether it is CS, DOTA or even Connect Four, he has some skill in them.

Later, knowing that Lu Mingfei was skilled in StarCraft, Nuwa also tried to explore new fields in her spare time. Su Xiaoqiang also followed suit and learned. With Lu Mingfei's efforts, the three of them had their share of wins and losses.

The only downside is that there are very few games available for three people to play together.

"Fight!"

Except for a few games, console game arcades generally don't provide headphones, so when Lu Mingfei easily knocked out his opponents in eight consecutive rounds with his new account, he quickly attracted the attention of the crowd.

Just like in the internet cafes in Binhai, a lot of people were watching him from behind, shouting various standard exclamations like "Sigge," "Sibalaxi," and "Sguoyi."

It's mainly primary school students.

After all, people normally come to arcades to play games. If you're just watching others play, it usually just means you don't have the money to play. Lu Mingfei suddenly grinned, feeling inexplicably happy.

So he took out a few bills from his pocket, called the shopkeeper over, and asked him to arrange for the children to take turns playing on other machines, and also give each of them a lollipop.

The elementary school students immediately cheered and thanked him repeatedly.

Lu Mingfei waved his hand dismissively.

Back in the day, he had also experienced hardship in internet cafes, unable to afford internet access or drinks, and could only envy others. Inviting these brats was like treating his younger self to a feast.

"Eriyi's PSN join the game!"

A line of text popped up on the screen.

Lu Mingfei glanced at it and saw that the short ID contained Chinese characters, kana, and English letters. He felt that the other person's Chinese teacher must have died young...

He continued to tackle the new game.

With the narrator's shout of "Fight!", the game begins.

Lu Mingfei was initially a bit nonchalant. After all, he had shown his prowess in the first game by crushing noobs and regained much of his peak form. In the following games, he displayed an invincible spirit. Moreover, during the newbie protection period, it was unlikely that he would encounter any particularly special opponents.

But soon,

He realized something was wrong from the other party's reaction and timing.

The fact that the opposing Chinese teacher dies young might actually be a positive buff in the gaming world...

"A worthy enemy!"

Lu Mingfei became serious, and his back straightened involuntarily, leaving the backrest.

The conflict reignites... On the screen, Chun-Li leaps into the air and taps Ryu's head with her middle leg. Ryu rolls to dodge and then unleashes a powerful energy blast that depletes his energy gauge. Chun-Li leaps again, lightly steps on the ground, and then lands with a heavy kick...

Lu Mingfei's Ryu has a healthier health bar than Chun-Li's, which is controlled by 'Eri's PSN'.

But Lu Mingfei's expression remained serious.

Chun-Li's rage meter is about to be full. The opponent is deliberately pushing him to the edge of the screen. If he gets the chance, the opponent might use a classic combo, which would be a heavy kick followed by EX Ki Blast Palm and EX Hundred-Crack Kick, and then the finishing move Wind Fan. He would be taken down in one combo.

This might be the opponent's strategy; he or she wants to exchange health for rage and then seize the opportunity to win big with a small investment.

Therefore... we can only proceed cautiously and steadily, without giving the opponent any opportunities.

Next, Lu Mingfei became completely focused, as steady as if he had lost something.

They focused on defense throughout, without much offensive desire, and relied on their healthy health to slowly whittle down the enemy's health, eventually securing victory through their health advantage.

First game won!

"Ha ha!"

Lu Mingfei could almost see through the screen the other person's furious expression, who felt no shame at all for his servile behavior, but instead was smug.

The exclamations of the elementary school students around him, who were still watching, subsided considerably, and their expressions became somewhat embarrassed.

It's clear that Lu Mingfei's shift from high-level tactics to a defensive, turtling style of play is not very appealing.

After all, it's an arcade; everyone loves something exciting and action-packed.

But in the second round,
Suddenly, the screams of "Siguni" in the arcade erupted, as if they were about to lift the ceiling.

Lu Mingfei abandoned his previous conservative approach and played very aggressively.

Whether it was Erii's PSN's timing of attacks and evasion tactics, or even the feigned weaknesses, he easily saw through them and successfully countered them.

"K·O!"

Lu Mingfei easily defeated his opponent at the cost of only 1/5 of his health, giving him a much greater advantage than in the first game.

"Know the enemy, know yourself, know the enemy, know the enemy, and know the enemy." (Know yourself, know the enemy, and you will win in a hundred battles)

Lu Mingfei brought a little shock of "The Art of War" to the elementary school students in Meijinji Town.

The elementary school students naturally didn't understand that in the first game, Lu Mingfei seemed to be operating very conservatively, but in fact he was carefully summarizing the opponent's operating habits. Street Fighter is a best-of-three system. As long as you can figure out the opponent's move patterns and operating habits, it's not a big deal to lose a game. You can just win the next two games.

A pre-battle summary might be difficult for others, but for Lu Mingfei, it's just a piece of cake. He used to win a lot of spicy snacks in the arcade with this skill.

Of course, only the best can receive such treatment.

But at this moment, 'Eri's PSN', who had lost both games, clearly did not feel the honor of being regarded as a master by Lu Mingfei.

Instead, a message popped up immediately after the game ended.

"Eri's PSN has sent you a battle challenge. Do you accept?"

A line of text popped up on the screen.

Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow: "Seems a bit reluctant to admit defeat?"

The surrounding elementary school students also started chattering and making a ruckus.

The general idea is to get Lu Mingfei to accept it.

"I accept! Of course I accept!"

Lu Mingfei burst into laughter.

At this moment, he also became interested. He had plenty of time tonight to slowly deal with this opponent, which was better than going back to the Hummer and staring at the old lady.

……

More than 400 kilometers away, in Tokyo, at Genji Heavy Industries, ξ floor.

Inside the Japanese-style wooden house, the red-haired head of the Uesugi family sat on a futon in a duck-like posture, holding a game controller with both hands, his slender white fingers pressing buttons, issuing another invitation.

Erii wasn't as 'furious' as Lu Mingfei had imagined; instead, her expressionless eyes held a newfound liveliness.

The gist of it is that he got angry.

But that's it.

She is an emotionally detached person, or rather, she rarely has the opportunity to learn how to express and release her emotions.

But Lu Mingfei's despicable behavior still made her feel a little unhappy, as if she were being treated like a child.

The opponent was clearly very strong and could have won fair and square, just like in the second game, but in the first game, she insisted on using that underhanded and disgusting style of play... Normally speaking, it is quite rare for a player to be able to play without showing any flaws throughout the entire game.

But then, her eyes lit up again.
It means she was happy because Lu Mingfei accepted her invitation, giving her a chance to take revenge.

At this moment, she readjusted her posture and became serious again.

As a true homebody, games and anime make up her entire life. Her gaming skills are actually quite high. Unlike Nuwa, who specializes in PC games, she prefers console games.

She's usually a force to be reckoned with on PSN, and it's rare to find a player she can even challenge.

Nobody likes constantly stomping noobs.
What truly brings enjoyment is always a worthy opponent.

then……

Two hours later.

Erii stared blankly at the large 'K·O' on the screen.

Click——

The remote control stick that had been with her for so long broke with a snap.

During those two hours, she rubbed the handle hard again and again. The smooth, rounded remote control finally gave off a sharp, unbearable crack, breaking off from the bottom under the pressure of her thumb.

'Beep beep beep—'

at the same time,

Her keen hearing picked up on the faint but piercing alarm coming from the end of the corridor outside the room.

Erii looked down at her snow-white wrist, on which was a bracelet with a completely black surface. She was smart enough to know that her heart rate had suddenly increased in a short period of time, triggering the alarm mechanism.

But this is not a good thing.

Because it meant that doctors and nurses in white coats would soon rush in to examine her.

This will disturb her while she's playing the game.

After waiting for a while without receiving an invitation from 'Eri's PSN', the other party seemed to be getting impatient and sent an invitation on their own initiative.

"SakurA1000 has sent you a challenge. Do you accept?"

Do you want to accept it?

Erii hesitated for a moment.

She wanted to accept it; she hoped to win against her opponent once... to win two out of three best-of-three matches, instead of only managing to win one by chance each time, only to lose the next, which was incredibly frustrating.

But it seems there's not enough time...

but,

She subconsciously looked at the little person icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

The PS3 has social features, including the ability to add friends, check their online status, send messages, and participate in online battles.

However, since Erii got the game console, she has never added a single friend or communicated with anyone outside of the game.

Because her brother had told her that the internet was full of bad people and scammers.

Therefore, she never interacts with strangers.

Even when browsing game guides and other players' game experiences in the community, they never express their own opinions or views.

Why don't you try adding me as a friend?

My brother also said it was meant to be used for trying new things...

At worst, I'll just stop chatting with this 'SakurA1000' and only play games with him!

'Da da da—'

The sound of doctors and nurses running in the corridor grew closer and closer.

After thinking for a moment, the girl decisively pressed the friend request button.

……

"Add me as a friend? My game time's up, want to play together again next time?"

Lu Mingfei understood immediately. Combining the vague feeling he had during the game, the other party's image immediately came to mind.

A child who is controlled by his family while playing games, doesn't like to talk, but is very competitive.

"agree."

Lu Mingfei smiled and gave the account SakurA1000.

I added my first friend.

(End of this chapter)