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

Chapter 134 Tachibana Masamune: Without a doubt, I am the winner (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)
"Could it be."

"Were there really any other survivors from the Black Swan Harbor that burned down back then?"

Tachibana Masamune crossed his arms and rested his gray-haired head on his chin, his aged face shrouded in the shadows cast by his falling hair.

He was still deep in thought.

Recalling that absurd and bizarre scene.

He only slept for three hours last night.

But I had a very strange yet very real dream.

……

Tachibana Masamune woke up from his sleep and heard something whistling past.

The elderly man initially thought it was because he was getting old and had poor sleep quality, and was woken up by the loud noise of the airplane.

however,
He found himself not in a warm bedroom, but standing alone in a vast, icy plain.

All around was an endless blizzard, with the wind biting cold.

What was whizzing overhead was indeed an airplane, but it wasn't an ordinary commercial airliner; it was a Su-27 fighter jet!
Three Su-27 fighter jets pierced through the clouds and the blizzard, swooping down from high altitude.

Heading straight to the ends of the earth, to the frozen harbor where the ocean is frozen.

Immediately afterwards, a series of engineering mines and vacuum bombs destroyed the nameless port that was never shown on the map.

Tachibana Masamune was suddenly startled; the scenes before him were things buried deep in his memory.

The next second he suddenly heard several gunshots.

Amidst the wind and snow, a man with an elegant yet languid voice chuckled softly.

"Dr. Herzog, in the worldview of dragons, there is no good or evil, only strength and weakness... You know this saying, but you don't seem to understand the principle behind it!"

"!"

Tachibana Masamune's body suddenly tensed up.

Then he heard an even more familiar voice.

"Without me...you can't complete the research..."

The sound was intermittent.

It was as if his lungs and trachea had been torn to pieces, and he could only make a sound through the friction of his hoarse throat, which was weak and unwilling.

“But we never intended to complete your research.”

The man spoke again,
Those eyes, shimmering with magnificent gold, pierced through the boundless wind and snow, like a pair of gas lamps.

"Heh, you don't understand what a truly great cause is. You're not the only one willing to sacrifice lives."

After saying this,
It was as if the only sounds in the sky and on the ground were the clicking sounds of him wielding his ice axe, chiseling holes in the ice.

thump—

The sound of something hitting the ground with a dull thud brought all the noise to an end.

The man's figure, and his pair of eyes like gas lamps, had long since disappeared.

Tachibana Masamune stared blankly at the still-raging snowstorm before him, his fists clenching involuntarily, a sudden surge of rage rising in his heart.

"Bondalev..."

He practically gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.

Of course he remembers that scene!
Some people have always wondered how the patriarch of the Snake Clan could have such a straight nose and deep-set eyes, with facial features as clear as if they were carved by a knife. If it weren't for his pure black eyes, he would undoubtedly be a Russian!
Of course, Tachibana Masamune is not his real name.

Jung von Herzog.

In his early years, he was one of the most talented genetic scientists at the German Institute for Biological Research. Obsessed with the occult, he joined the "Far North" in pursuit of the "Divine Kingdom" and the "Holy Grail." Later, due to the war in the last century, he was captured after his homeland was defeated and ordered to an unnamed port in the Arctic Circle to conduct research on mysterious creatures...

Until 1991.

Eighteen years ago, a man named Bondarev arrived at that ghostly port like a ghost, and met him, who was also a ghost.

He told Herzog everything about the dragons, even though Herzog had only glimpsed a corner of the real world at that time.

In that particular year, a turbulent era, Bondarev also brought a series of bad news, including the bad news that the port, whose real name was 'Black Swan Port', had been abandoned.

However, the man also brought with him a beautiful blueprint.

A 'Godhood Plan'.

Deep within the permafrost and ice of Black Swan Harbor lies the carcass of a dragon, a stairway high enough for humanity to ascend to godhood.

Of course, modern science is needed as an aid, along with a small amount of financial assistance.

And then there's the wisdom of Dr. Herzog, who is renowned for his genius.

Faced with Bondarev's complete disclosure, the two quickly reached an agreement, taking away three of the most promising second-generation embryos as test subjects, and devising a perfect escape plan called "Swan Burning".

However, Herzog was unaware of this at the time.

Beyond the 'Burning Swan', Bondarev devised an even more secretive plan, but the end goal of this new plan did not include Herzog's place!

Faced with Bondarev's sudden betrayal, Herzog was powerless to retaliate and was severely wounded, nearly dying.
Having survived by sheer luck, Herzog once again used his wisdom and painstaking efforts over many years, following the clues of the plan, to achieve a stunning counterattack.

On that sea voyage, he reclaimed three 'second-generation embryos,' his research notes, and even greater spoils—the second half of the plan that Bondarev hadn't fully told him! The truly 'grand plan'!
Resurrect the White King and seize the throne!
Amidst the swirling snow, Tachibana Masamune gently closed his eyes to avoid too many snowflakes hitting his delicate eyeballs. His expression had gradually relaxed, revealing a soothing and contented look.

He remembered it in his dream.

Bondarev did indeed achieve a brief victory.

But after years of scheming against that terrible man, the ultimate victor was undoubtedly himself.

It's just a dream... no need to worry about it.

but,

Tachibana Masamune suddenly felt something was off.

The old man Bondarev threw into the pit like a stray dog ​​was himself.

But what's wrong with my current perspective? Why am I standing here like an outsider? Tachibana Masamune stood in the snow, looking around.

Normally speaking,

Every dream can be traced back to its origin and basis in reality.

The source of this dream has been found, and there is evidence to support it.

but……

Huh?
Tachibana Masamune suddenly froze.

His eyes narrowed sharply, revealing a naked and undisguised malice.

From this perspective.

He clearly saw the back of Black Swan Harbor engulfed in flames.
A pack of sled dogs was pulling a small figure and a sleeping bag that looked very familiar, heading far into the endless ice field.

His platinum blonde hair blended seamlessly with the snow in the darkness.

……

at the same time,

In Hokkaido, deep in the remote mountains and forests, clusters of buildings are secretly constructed underground.

"What a strange dream."

An old man sat at the table, frowning in thought, his voice hoarse as he uttered the same question as the underworld boss who lived on the 29th floor of the Genji Heavy Industries building.

As I woke up from my dream.

He could not remember many details clearly, only the small figure at the end of the dream.

"Could it be... that there were other survivors from Black Swan Harbor back then?"

Behind him was a spacious but empty laboratory. Glass partitions divided the laboratory into different areas, some of which were filled with various instruments and equipment. Indicator lights were either flashing or silent, occasionally emitting a buzzing notification sound.

Some were set up with cold iron beds that looked like slaughterhouses, with various cutting tools gleaming coldly. These tools could easily handle both hard bones and thick skin, and some even had iron hooks with traces of black blood hanging from their tops.

Others consist of countless huge, transparent, vertical culture chambers filled with a dark green biomass solution, in which clones with identical appearances and shapes are immersed. Their eyes are closed, tubes are inserted into their spines, and they are suspended in the liquid.

This place is essentially a combination of an operating room, a slaughterhouse, and a laboratory.

The overwhelming aura of evil is so intense that perhaps only the 'Frigga Research Institute' beneath the Chen family manor could rival it.

However, if the young and righteous head of the Snake Clan's Executive Bureau, Genjiro, were to come here, his first reaction would probably not be to blow this place up, but rather to be deeply shocked.

Because those clones immersed in the incubation chambers all had straight noses, deep-set eyes, and facial features as clearly defined as if carved by a knife...

It was clearly the image of the patriarch he revered—Tachibana Masamune!
The only difference between it and that kind and gentle old man was that occasionally, when bubbles skimmed across its body surface, they would reveal a fine, scale-like structure.

"If it were him..."

The old man pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his dark eyes, like that of a Tibetan fox.

He slowly stood up, his face appearing in the light.

Another Tachibana Masamune.

'Tachibana Masamune' walked through the brightly lit but gloomy corridor and arrived at the area where the incubation chambers stood. The damp, underground atmosphere was mixed with the strong smell of disinfectant, which hit his nose.

Until the deepest part of this area.

Three culture chambers stood before me, the liquid no longer dark green, but a deep blue.

He gently tiptoed.

Pressing a button on one of the culture chambers causes the deep blue liquid inside to be rapidly drained.

'哐——'

The glass in front of the incubation chamber popped open.

The clone inside slid off the thick tube, and the grotesque gash in its spine visibly began to heal.

The remaining moisture on the skin surface made the scales faintly visible.

"The fifth-generation Shadow Warrior has reached the limit of what can be done now. The required bone, blood, and horn resources are too enormous, and the success rate is extremely low..."

The old man murmured something under his breath, then took out a Noh mask from his robes—a mask depicting a court noble with a pale face, bright red lips, and black teeth.

"With this added, it should be enough to test him."

Gently place it on the clone's face.

He then took a black haori from the hook next to the incubation chamber and draped it over his shoulders.

There were two stick-like objects in the inner pocket of the haori.

"Next."

"You are the king's general."

……

On the stretch Hummer SUV heading to Osaka
"Paradise Pavilion?"

Lu Mingfei sat on the sofa, repeatedly muttering the name.

"That's right, it's also called Paradise City. It's a casino hidden deep in the mountains of Osaka. The deeper it's hidden, the bigger the stakes become. There's no limit to the bets on their tables. It's an important stronghold of the Oni Clan."

“That does fit the stereotype of gangsters,” Lu Mingfei nodded.

If the Snake Clan is a semi-legitimized high-end gang, then the Fierce Ghost Clan, a group of ruthless individuals, is a purebred gang, known for its ruthless and unscrupulous behavior, pursuing anything illegal or quick to make money—the so-called 'Heavenly Capital' is all about gambling, prostitution, and drugs.

“If you’re going to investigate the Ghost Clan, you could consider going there first,” said Chip Girl.

“Okay.” Lu Mingfei naturally had no objections.

"However, you need to do some more preparations before that."

The potato chip girl revealed a sly smile.

(End of this chapter)