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

Chapter 146 Lu Mingfei: I'm awake, everything is normal.

Tokyo, Genji Heavy Industries, underground waterways.

An elevator carrying an elderly man with white hair and a withered appearance slowly descended.

The old man had a solemn expression and was dressed in a black kimono. Every gesture he made exuded the aura of a mafia boss.

An alarm suddenly sounded in the passageway, its deep rumble like thunder.

"Master, a new peak is coming," the staff member reminded.

"Hmm," Tachibana Masamune responded indifferently.

Looking out from the transparent elevator, water splashes and flies, like a white dragon forcibly bound by the waterway. It struggles forward, roaring and howling. The pipe space with a diameter of more than 12 meters is instantly submerged by water, and the surging torrent carries white waves that wash over various huge engineering machines.

This is Tokyo's underground drainage system, constructed by Maruyama Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Hebi-hachi family. It contains countless giant pipes, giant reservoirs, and giant turbines, and is known as the world's largest drainage system.

The entire giant underground space was constructed using special corrosion-resistant steel, hence its nickname, the 'Iron Dome Temple'.

In Tokyo, a city prone to hurricanes, this drainage system could store the water from a lake underground and then discharge it to the sea via turbines and pipes. With the advent of the Iron Dome, Tokyo has never experienced flooding again.

The elevator is still descending.

Having arrived at a depth deeper than the Iron Dome, the tide had passed, and the rushing sound of water echoed continuously from the pipes buried overhead.

Located fifty meters underground, the enclosed platform is shrouded in darkness. The only sounds are the occasional whirring of ventilation fans mixed with the sound of flowing water. The only light source is the overhead light inside the transparent elevator car.

"We've arrived, patriarch."

"You have worked hard."

"Everything is for the family." The staff member lowered his gaze in awe.

Tachibana Masamune nodded with a smile and stepped into the pitch-black silence.

"Da da da--"

The steady footsteps echoed within the platform, but no staff members followed them out.

This platform is actually an 'elevator room'. The elevators, with their dark red markings flashing in the darkness, lead to various hidden areas underground at Genji Heavy Industries. Some are warehouses, and some are research institutes. The level of secrecy is very high, and only the head of the family has the authority to enter, except for relevant personnel.

Masamune Tachibana entered an elevator marked 'φ'. After undergoing triple authentication using fingerprint, iris, and voiceprint, the elevator started moving and moved up and down irregularly. Suddenly, the wall in front of him lit up.

It resembled a brightly lit research institute, with researchers in white lab coats constantly moving about.

Upon seeing Tachibana Masamune enter the place, he immediately stopped what he was doing and bowed respectfully to him.

"The patriarch."

With a serious expression, Tachibana Masamune waved his hand and took a USB drive out of his kimono pocket.

"Zhang Jie, the family has obtained new experimental data, which you can refer to."

The head of the 'φ' research institute is named Takahashi Shosuke, a member of the Miyamoto family. He was formerly a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Tokyo, specializing in the field of genetics. He has a pale face and dry skin, as if he hasn't seen the sun for many years.

Takahashi Shosuke took the USB drive and projected it onto the screen.

The surrounding researchers crowded around, and many of them immediately exclaimed in amazement upon seeing the contents.

"My God, humans can actually adapt to dragon blood to this extent!"

"These are truly amazing experimental results! If we combine them with serum for further purification..."

"Not only can it suppress the signs of evolution, but it can even acquire the power of evolution to a certain extent! Maintaining the human form..."

"But are there other external factors at play...?"

The researchers started discussing it amongst themselves.

Takahashi Shosuke's face also showed excitement. With his professional knowledge, he could naturally see that the experimental data was of great value and might have a huge impact on their research.

However, he didn't stay in front of the screen for long.

Instead, he first accompanied Tachibana Masamune, strolling around the 'φ' research institute.

"Shosuke, do the research institute have enough bone, blood, and horn resources?" Tachibana Masamune asked as he walked deeper into the research institute.

"It's a bit tight," Takahashi Shosuke said honestly.

"You said you need to speed up the process, then the loss rate of the experimental subjects will increase significantly, possibly ten or even twenty times. The remaining reserves can probably last for about a month."

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

Tachibana Masamune patted Takahashi Shosuke on the shoulder, his smile encouraging.

"The family situation is now like a fire burning with oil, and the Ghost Clan is making more and more moves... The research institute's project is the key to turning the tide."

"Once we produce results, it might completely change the balance of power between our family and the Oni Clan. Whether it's strengthening the children or alleviating the 'Oni's' mutation, any progress we make will rewrite the history of the Snake Clan... You are truly important."

"I understand, Patriarch! Everything is for the sake of the family!"

Takahashi Shosuke stood up straight with a solemn expression and performed the Miyamoto family's traditional greeting.

"Don't worry about the bone and blood horn. Just focus on your research. The family is currently acquiring materials on the black market in Europe and America, and another batch will be delivered in a couple of days."

Tachibana Masamune stopped in front of a room deep in the corridor, gazing at a massive wall seven or eight meters high inside.

This is a giant water tank, or rather, a 'fish tank', emitting a faint blue light. Separated by a huge glass wall and a specially made sturdy iron door, a string of fine bubbles suddenly rises in the bathtub.

The creature hidden in the water tank silently adhered to the thick glass wall.
They are the 'experimental subjects' that Takahashi Shosuke mentioned.
A school of fish, a school of big fish, a school of big fish with snake tails and human faces, the big fish pressed their heads against the glass wall, their golden pupils reflecting their pale, desiccated faces.

Deadpool in snake form.

They peer into the human world through the double layer of security—glass and iron gate.

Some were expressionless, while others had upturned corners of their mouths as if they were smiling. This scene was like the most eerie scene in a horror movie, as if the glass wall would shatter in the next second, and a horde of demons would surge out, turning this place into a bloody hell with their claws and fangs.

Tachibana Masamune returned the smile, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

hum-

The large fish suddenly swam away, leaving behind a series of whirlpools in their long tails, as if fleeing.

"The patriarch is mighty," Takahashi Shosuke flattered.

"They're just too lazy to bother with me."

Tachibana Masamune's smile faded, and he was both amused and exasperated. "Shosuke, we've known each other for so many years, where did you learn to flatter me?"

"Haha." Takahashi Shosuke chuckled dryly.

"By the way, patriarch, where did you get this information from?"

“The Execution Bureau, it’s Chisei. He got his findings from one of the Oni Clan’s strongholds. The Oni Clan is doing the same thing as us.” Tachibana Masamune sighed. “We are researching how to curb the corruption of dragon blood, while they are researching how to make evolution medicine. That’s why I said we need to speed things up.”

"I think the same approach of evolving bloodlines can be applied to curbing bloodlines."

“You are right.” Takahashi Shosuke was completely convinced.

In his eyes, this patriarch was practically omnipotent. Although Tachibana Masamune was old, his mind was incredibly broad. Despite not being a professional, he always managed to offer them guidance whenever he visited the 'φ' Research Institute.

No wonder he's qualified to be the head of the family.
Although Takahashi Shosuke hadn't returned to the surface for several years, he still insisted on reading the internal publications of the Snake Clan, learning about Genjiro's character and the brilliance of that young executive director, knowing that the position of 'patriarch' would definitely belong to that young man in the future.

but……

"Master, I'm a little worried. When the young master ascends the throne, will it be the case that we..."

Takahashi Shosuke looked worried, but hesitated to speak.

Although the 'φ' Institute's projects are crucial, they are ultimately evil experiments.

When that righteous child, as righteous as the sun, takes over, will Takahashi Shosuke, the director of the 'φ' Institute, and the dozens of researchers in the institute truly be able to die peacefully?

He didn't care about himself.
The main issue is the many subordinates within the organization who have dedicated their lives to the family; they are also children of the family...

"Chisato will understand."

Tachibana Masamune smiled gently, "As long as we win this war, you don't need to worry."

"When the time comes, I will bear all these sins."

……

In the early morning, before the sun rises,
The 5 billion yen bounty on the Hunter website has swept the globe, even reaching the far north.

At 76 degrees north latitude, north of the Barents Sea, deep in the Arctic Ocean, ice floes drift on the dark surface of the sea, and hurricanes whip up billowing sea fog.

Between the autumnal and spring equinoxes each year, the Earth's axis tilts by about 23.5 degrees during its revolution around the sun, causing the sun's direct rays to shift in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, areas north of the Arctic Circle do not receive any sunlight, thus entering a long night that lasts for six months. This period is also known as the 'polar night'.

The YAMAL nuclear-powered icebreaker, built during the Soviet era, is the most powerful 'Arctic-class' icebreaker. Its hardened armored bow can break through ice up to six meters high, and two heavy water reactors provide it with inexhaustible power.

The icebreaker is no longer idle within the Arctic Fleet; instead, it has been leased to a European cruise company. The company converted it into a luxury cruise ship, which sails year-round in the Arctic Ocean.

"Navigator reports: We are sailing above the Lomonosov Ridge, at a depth of 1200 meters, 234 nautical miles from the North Pole!"

"The weather forecast is deteriorating! Visibility is 800 meters! Temperature is -30 degrees Celsius, and sea ice has thickened significantly!"

Inside the cockpit, calls echoed. At this time of year, the Arctic is mostly only suitable for "light hunters" or hardcore scientific expeditions. Although it was already March, there were still very few ships venturing into the Arctic, and the distance between them was at least a hundred nautical miles.

There's nothing we can do about it.

After all, unlike the midnight sun, whale migration, and magnificent and warm landscapes of tundra flower fields during the polar day, the weather during the polar night is more complex and changeable. Outdoor activities are almost impossible in the extremely cold environment, unless you want to test the sharpness of your body's thermoregulation system.

In the living quarters of the YAMAL, elegantly dressed passengers gathered around long tables to enjoy their three-course meals, while a small symphony orchestra played music on the dance floor and waiters in white suits ran around carrying silver trays.

Before boarding, passengers were told that it was a safe trip, that the Yamal was an unsinkable steel island in this icy sea, and that even if the iceberg that sank the Titanic were to block its way, it would be the iceberg that would suffer, not the Yamal.

Here they can enjoy the casino, banquets, and gourmet food to their heart's content. When the snowstorm stops, they can go to the deck accompanied by charming Belarusian girls to admire the polar night view under the blue sky.

At this moment, in the top deck cabin,

An elderly man sat in an electric wheelchair by the one-way glass window, quietly watching the lively celebrations below.

“It’s a long night,” the old man said softly.

His aged body was hunched and thin, his head drooping as if his withered spine could no longer support his body.

Yet he was also so dignified and refined, dressed in a hand-sewn black tuxedo, a gold chain of pocket watches hanging on his chest, and pigeon-blood rubies gleaming on his fingers; his white hair was combed tightly back against his scalp.

Behind him stood a middle-aged man in a black tuxedo and white bow tie. Just by standing there, one could sense a surge of vitality within him. He followed the old man's gaze, appreciating the commotion in the hall, a faint, sinister smile playing on his lips.

He was carrying a leather mask in his hand, the mouth of which had a bird-beak-like structure, making him look stern and terrifying.

The old man also had an identical leather mask on his lap.

In the Middle Ages, this type of mask was a special device for doctors who walked among plague-ridden corpses. The spices in the bird's beak would protect the doctors from the stench of the dead and the virus. Now, in the 21st century, most people who wear this ancient mask do so out of curiosity.

Besides that mysterious organization—

Holy Palace Medical Society.

"The night is almost over, isn't it, dear Charon? What follows is the long midnight sun."

The middle-aged man spoke calmly.

“You’re right, Mr. Frigga.”

The old man smiled and said, "I like the sunshine. I'm getting old, and long nights cause my melatonin production to become unbalanced."

The middle-aged man was the head of the Chen family who had been missing for several days. Some people guessed that he might be hiding in a remote mountain area or a secret base to avoid being hunted down by various mixed-race forces.

But no one expected that he would travel alone to the Arctic Ocean and meet another member of the 'Holy Palace Medical Society'.

The real captain of the YAMAL was definitely not the bearded Sasha Rebalco who was drinking and having fun with the passengers.

The old man's name was Vincent von Ludwig, and his code name at the Holy Palace Medical Society was 'Charon,' which in Greek mythology refers to the ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the River Styx.

"Have you seen today's bounty?"

Vincent took a tablet from the side of his wheelchair, opened the Hunter website, and handed it to the Chen family patriarch.

"Your 'old friend' seems to have a bounty on his head, 5 billion yen, though that'll probably only buy a ticket for a ship to catch a glimpse of the divine kingdom... He seems to be getting into some other trouble?"

The head of the Chen family did not take the tablet, his expression remaining calm: "I know."

"Why do you seem to have no reaction at all? You and your family have lost such a huge fortune. If I were you, I might add more money and call more people to deal with him."

"There's no need," the Chen family patriarch said casually.

“Frigga, you’re a strange fellow,” Vincent asked with interest. “Don’t you hate him?”

"Hate him? I should be grateful to him."

The Chen family patriarch smiled slightly, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "I only paid a tiny, insignificant price. And yet, I've taken another step closer to godhood."

……

Xiangyang, Zhou family.

"What the hell is Lu Mingfei up to?!"

After washing up, Nuwa sat cross-legged on a soft cushion in her palace, holding a tablet with a look of astonishment on her face.

The pitch-black background on the screen made that delicate little face appear even darker.

This position has been maintained for almost ten minutes.

Not a still picture.

The view count and reply count at the end of that pinned and featured post jumped up with each update.
Her lips would twitch involuntarily.

"Alright, alright, after 500 million comes 5 billion, and in a couple of days it'll be heading for 50 billion, won't it? You're such a troublemaker!"

Finally, Nuwa ground her little white teeth and uttered a sentence.

She has always had the habit of checking the Hunter website every morning.

Not to mention that the Zhou family, along with its legitimate lineage, has now officially entered the world. Ever since the early days of the internet, when this website appeared, she would swipe on it a couple of times every day.

It's like checking the news to understand the international and domestic situation and avoid being too 'out of touch'... mainly to stay connected with reality.

The forum takes a 0.5% cut of the funds from each task posted on the Hunter website. A task worth 5 billion yen means that the Hunter website can earn 25 million yen from this one post alone, provided that someone can successfully complete the task and exchange the funds.

Five billion yen, roughly equivalent to more than thirty million US dollars, is more than enough to buy the lives of those mediocre but ambitious lone wolves on the website.

Therefore, this post received unprecedented attention in a short period of time, becoming so popular that it almost broke through the entire Hunter website's popularity. However, the damned administrator of the Hunter website, 'Nido,' only cared about traffic and commission, and directly marked this unfortunate thing as a featured post!
It's been less than four hours since the post was published.

The number of views has already exceeded 10,000, and is even rapidly approaching the 100,000 mark.

For this niche website lurking in the shadows of the internet, 100,000 views were almost draining its traffic pool. Hunters from all over the world, lurking in various countries, were drawn to this post, and thousands of unknown people focused their attention on the young boy's face, silently memorizing it.

The number of people replying with 'check' has even reached four figures.

This is something that has never happened before.

After all... the bounty is unusually high, and the face in the photo looks like an easy target, probably taken from some unknown angle.

Nuwa is really annoying.

She was well aware of the hunter website's situation; its active users were all people who would rather die than spend money. Forget about bounties worth '5 billion yen'—it was possible the targets were easy prey.
Just one sentence.

What if? What if I'm the one who makes the mistake?
With 5 billion yen in hand, wouldn't that make you famous and successful, take off from the spot, and go anywhere in the world?
This was more troublesome than she had feared.

After all, this group of people doesn't care about any prestigious lineage or dragon-slaying heroes... They're completely out of touch with that level of knowledge! They just charge in headfirst!
But this doesn't mean these people pose no threat whatsoever. On the contrary, it's precisely these nameless individuals who might one day accomplish the feat of overwhelming odds. After all, Lu Mingfei is also human. Hybrids are such a group; in their dragon blood boiling state, they are practically indestructible.
But if he lets his guard down, even a hidden gun could take his life.

This group of people are capable of anything, from shooting people in the dark to using laxatives to induce abortion; they are truly ruthless and unscrupulous.

"Oh, it's really troublesome."

Nuwa pressed the summons bell, preparing to call someone to do some public relations work, at least to send a warning to those desperate criminals.

Don't be so damn lucky as to have the life to take the money but not the life to spend it!

I switched to QQ without thinking.

Looking at the message "Everything is normal" sent by Lu Mingfei four hours ago,
Her lips twitched again involuntarily.
A sudden feeling of nervousness welled up inside me.

Before heading to Japan, she made a special agreement with Lu Mingfei that they should remember to let each other know they were safe before going to bed every day, whether they went to bed at nine o'clock or three o'clock, the important thing was to call for help if they were ever in trouble!

The same thing happened last time. He sent a message saying "I'm fine" as soon as he arrived in Japan, and five minutes later, the fake identity "Sakura" was wanted by the Sheki Hachike family for 500 million yen.

This time, it was the middle of the night again when they sent a message saying "everything is normal." Ten minutes later, the real identity of "Lu Mingfei" was also wanted.

More importantly...

You've caused all this trouble and you're just planning to dust yourself off and sleep all day, huh?

Hey, reply to my message! I'll arrange for someone to pick you up!

‘Ding dong——’

A message popped up on QQ.

Lu Mingfei: I just woke up, everything is normal.

……

"Eat, eat more."

Osaka, Umeda Hotel.

Lu Mingfei, Ling, and Su Enxi were having breakfast around a long table.

The table was laden with dishes.

There are local specialties like omelets, sandwiches, rice balls, raw egg rice with salmon and miso soup, as well as Western breakfasts such as caviar with freshly baked whole wheat toast, Danish pastries with raisins, fried chicken breast with lemon juice, and Munich sausage. Of course, there are also Chinese dishes like xiaolongbao, youtiao, tofu pudding, and even salted eggs and salted ham.

The Umeda Inergate Hotel is a standard five-star hotel with absolutely first-class service.

Having learned from past mistakes, Chip Girl naturally wouldn't skimp on Lu Mingfei's 'appetite'.

The food was delicious, but the atmosphere was a bit somber.

Zero was full after eating just one omelet, while Chip Girl had already eaten her fill.

The two barely spoke throughout the entire conversation.

Lu Mingfei was busy eating and didn't say a word.

While doing some simple tasks on her tablet, Chip Girl secretly observed Lu Mingfei, who was ravenously eating, and also observed Zero, who was observing Lu Mingfei ravenously eating with her.

What puzzled her was that Zero, who stayed in Lu Mingfei's room until dawn, seemed to have changed no more than before.

That's not how it's portrayed in the TV series...

"call--"

Lu Mingfei ate the salmon while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

It's starting to get hot.

There are factors such as the heat generated during digestion and factors such as stress.

Occasionally, when trying to subtly raise her head, she would meet Zero's quiet and deep eyes.

As things stand, as long as Lu Mingfei dares to raise his head...
Therefore, the probability of the two making eye contact is 100%.

Never disappointed.

"Look at the mess this has made." Lu Mingfei felt extremely embarrassed.

This is really embarrassing.

He was still half asleep in the morning and in a daze, he ended up calling the person by the wrong name.

I regret it more and more the more I think about it!

Damn it, it's clearly written on the panel that his name is 'Zero'! He even introduced himself as 'Zero'! And yet you still call him by the wrong name!

Although Zero and the 'Renata' in the dream have similar hairstyles, similar races and skin colors, and are both wearing white dresses,
But it's obvious it's not the same person!
The little girl in my dream was barely developed, as thin as a paper doll, with some small freckles on her face. She was a typical Western movie character, usually used to play the kind of well-behaved and obedient girl who comes from a single-parent family and is unlucky enough to be bullied at school.

But Zero is different. Despite her short stature, by any standard of judgment, her looks are absolutely top-notch. Her fair face is flawless, perfectly matching the aesthetic standards of the East, and her physical development is also very obvious.

More importantly... who can be more violent than her! Just look at how Zero beat up Kazama Ruri. If you encounter school bullying, leaving the other side with even a bone would be considered a blessing from heaven.

When Lu Mingfei realized what was happening, he was almost dumbfounded.

Fearing the other party might kick them or ask, "Who is 'Renata'?", they might simply remain silent and have an exclamation mark appear above their head, causing their favorability rating to drop.

Fortunately, Zero didn't dwell on which name he was referring to as his suspected first love.

He simply said five words in a flat tone.

"woke up?"

"eat first."

Lu Mingfei didn't dare ask anything. He quickly jumped out of bed, washed up, and then followed Ling guiltily to the room next door where the potato chip girl lived.

He dropped the salmon in his hand, then secretly looked up and glanced at Renata... no, Zero.

The other person was indeed still watching him.

A strange feeling suddenly arose in Lu Mingfei's heart.

It's not about recklessly testing the limits of self-destruction.

The main reason was that the scene he saw in the sunlight that morning had left a lingering feeling in his mind, which was even getting stronger.

A few years ago, he always felt that white dresses were Chen Wenwen's exclusive domain. A simple white cotton dress, with sunlight shining on her skin, would give people a very calm and transparent sense of peace.

Later, whenever Lu Mingfei saw a girl wearing a white dress, he would be more likely to develop feelings for her because of his love for her.

But today I saw Ling sitting under the window, the sunlight shining in and onto her.

It was as if this girl was the true owner of the 'white dress,' and the white dress on her was a perfect match.

Everyone else, no matter who they are, has to step back.

Of course, it would be even more perfect if Zero were holding a teddy bear...

and many more!

What exactly is a teddy bear?
"Um..."

Lu Mingfei's expression changed drastically, his entire face almost contorted.

I ate too fast and choked.

He was about to get up to find something to eat when a nearly transparent hand holding a water glass reached out to him.

"Gurgle—uh, ah!"

Lu Mingfei gulped down two large mouthfuls of water before finally swallowing the rice, which was coated in a sticky mass of raw egg liquid, and let out a long sigh.

Then that pale, almost translucent hand reached out and offered another napkin.

"Thanks……"

He was about to answer it.

The soft tissue suddenly turned, avoiding his hand, and gently wiped his lips.

"Pay attention while you eat," Zero said softly.

Lu Mingfei was suddenly shocked. He looked up as if he had been electrocuted and met those calm eyes again.

"Oh, okay..." His voice trembled inexplicably as he subconsciously replied.

The atmosphere suddenly became strange.

at the same time,

Lu Mingfei heard a low, muffled laugh, as if someone was trying their best to cover their mouth but still couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lu Mingfei and Ling turned their heads almost simultaneously to look at the culprit, the potato chip girl.

The former felt awkward, the latter indifferent.