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

Chapter 149 Playing dumb is good for all four of us.
Girlfriend? She...them?
Lu Mingfei was suddenly taken aback, noticing the details in Ling's wording.

It is clear.

The girl in front of him probably knew everything about his affair.

A sudden feeling of panic washed over me.

Two boats?
Damn it, could I have been mistaken for some kind of scumbag? Actually, the three of us are just in a pure love relationship!

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth awkwardly, wanting to explain but seemingly at a loss for words.

After all, explaining this kind of thing will only make things worse; how could you possibly understand...?

He noticed Lu Mingfei's strange gaze.

Zero seemed to understand something.

Without making a sound, he moved one step to the side.

Successfully escaped the wide-angle coverage of the computer webcam.

"It's okay now." She said calmly.

Lu Mingfei: "..."

No!

What does this have to do with whether you appear on my camera or not!
Uh... okay, there is some connection.

but!

"Mainly... tsk, I'm in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with them, so we might say some, uh, very... things on the phone later..." Lu Mingfei explained dryly.

Before he could finish speaking, he vaguely sensed that Zero's eyes seemed to light up.

...Is it an illusion?
Lu Mingfei blinked, but Zero's face remained calm, like an iceberg.

"so what?"

Zero's tone was flat.

"...so it might be a bit embarrassing if you hear this."

Lu Mingfei's face inexplicably flushed, and he said somewhat reluctantly,

hateful!

Why does this girl seem so dazed?
No! She might be faking her madness! But I have no proof!
Do people with expressionless faces just happen to be born with a gossipy nature?

Ling Xiao's face was as cold as ice: "If you're worried I'll laugh at you, you don't need to. I've been professionally trained and I usually won't laugh out loud."

Lu Mingfei almost choked to death.

I said, ma'am, this isn't a question of whether you've received professional training, okay?

You were born without the ability to laugh!
Back in the day, Comrade Chu was known as the cold-faced killer and the king of expressionless faces. He would occasionally twitch the corners of his mouth when he was happy, but I really can't see any hope of a smile in you.

Zero, expressionless, explained again:
“You are currently wanted and have a bounty on your head, which is a high level of danger, so I will stay by your side at all times during this period to fulfill the duties of a bodyguard... I think I should still be of some use.”

The last sentence is both an explanation and a rhetorical question.

"..."

Lu Mingfei felt even more exhausted.
I was thinking, do you really need to comment on this kind of question? If I don't enter my dragon form, I can't even beat the fifth generation of the King's Shadow Warrior, let alone Kazama Ruri... But even such a ruthless character didn't get any advantage in your hands. Although it was a bit unfair to win in the end, your strength is undeniable.

The problem is, Wang Jiang's arrest warrant has only been out for four or five hours now. If those tough guys outside weren't moving any faster, they wouldn't even have gotten past airport security. Aren't you being a bit too paranoid?

If we keep a close watch on them now, the danger will be even greater in a few days, and we'll have to keep an eye on them even when they go to the toilet.

Lu Mingfei was about to say something.

Zero's eyes widened slightly, her gaze clear and cold as water.

Are you trying to kick me out?

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei was stunned.

In fact, Zero's tone was exactly the same as before, remaining cold and expressionless, but Lu Mingfei clearly sensed that the weight of those words was exceptionally different...

Using it here seems to go beyond simply seeking opinions; it's more like... pleading?
Damn it! How could a girl with such a strong presence, so outstanding and powerful, express a desire to beg from anyone?
Lu Mingfei suddenly fell silent.

Should we kick her out?

It seems... very difficult to do.

Whether it's the [Affection Level: 9] on the panel,
It's still about the name 'Renata'.

He seemed to have difficulty saying it—

Saying things like, "Yes, you're getting in my way, I'm going to kick you out."

"……without."

Lu Mingfei sighed.
Forget it.

"Then you absolutely mustn't say a word later! And don't suddenly pop out, please, please!"

Lu Mingfei emphasized it again, but his gaze toward her was somewhat innocent and pitiful.

Renata's gaze softened slightly.

"Ah."

……

Di-

The video call was connected.

The hotel's internet speed was very fast, and Lu Mingfei downloaded QQ while browsing the Hunter website.

This thing is really convenient for video calls; you can chat, take screenshots, and type all at the same time.

A chubby little face appeared in the video frame.

Lu Mingfei's first phone call was to Nuwa.

The connection was successfully established.

The snake spirit sister quickly moved closer, her rosy lips lightly touching the camera.

As the red lips drew near, the image rapidly turned red, then darkened, and finally went black.
"Mingfei, I miss you so much, mua~!"

Then a sticky sound came through the speakers, along with a deliberate "pop" sound.

Except when Su Xiaoqiang is in front of Nuwa, she never hesitates to express her emotions freely.

After a short while, the image returned to normal.

Nuwa sat back down with a smile.

The background behind her resembles an ancient palace, with elaborate decorations including brocade curtains, ambergris wood, and calligraphy and paintings. Nuwa is leaning against a cushioned chaise longue, with various sockets and data cables placed beside it.

It was obvious that she was in her bedroom deep within the Zhou family palace in Xiangyang Tang City.

This is the boudoir of the goddess Nuwa, where strict etiquette is observed. To enter, one must pass through at least three layers of doors: the outer gauze, the middle brocade, and the inner silk. This means that outsiders must announce their arrival three times before they are even qualified to catch a glimpse of the goddess.

Previously, the reforms had not reached such depths and details, and Lu Mingfei had not delved into them. In the past, he and Nuwa had always met in the outer hall.

It was thanks to the video call that we were able to catch a glimpse of Nuwa's boudoir.

"Huh? Why isn't there any response?"

Nuwa noticed that Lu Mingfei's image on the computer screen had suddenly stopped moving.
I glanced at the network status, which was still showing green in the upper left corner.
She blinked her bright eyes.

"Stuck?"

Lu Mingfei: "...I miss you too, mua!"

A moment later, the audio and video finally came through.

"There was a slight delay; the internet at this terrible hotel is unstable."

Lu Mingfei grinned awkwardly and explained.

Noticing Zero's faint breathing from behind him, he didn't dare turn around.

You can't believe this, right? I told you that it's kind of weird when boyfriends and girlfriends talk on the phone... but you wouldn't believe me and insisted on listening. Now look what happened!
Fortunately, Zero is a person with a strong sense of contractual responsibility.

If I promise Lu Mingfei that I won't make a sound while he's on the phone, I will definitely keep my word.

Furthermore, it won't suddenly jump into the screen; only Lu Mingfei, with his powerful bloodline, can detect subtle changes in breathing. If it falls into the microphone, it will be automatically filtered out as ambient noise.

In the scene, Nuwa pouted her little lips.
"Why stay in a lousy hotel? Can't we stay in a better one? It's not like we don't have money. If we didn't, I would have sent you money."

She was a little unhappy.

"It's not like you can't eat random things when you're out having fun. There's no need for the host to treat himself badly."

"Yes, yes, yes, the hotel is actually fine. It was probably just a network fluctuation just now," Lu Mingfei said repeatedly.

"Where are you now? Send me your location," Nuwa said.

"Osaka, Umeda Hotel." Lu Mingfei tapped a location.

"Oh, you're still in Osaka..."

Nuwa casually searched for information about this hotel online.

I'm somewhat satisfied now.

The Zhou family's intelligence network had already been established. Combining this with the news from various parties in Osaka last night, it was possible to guess that Lu Mingfei was up to something here, which is why someone posted a huge bounty on the Hunter website.

"By the way, how's the situation on your end?"

Nuwa suddenly asked.

"Are those friends you mentioned still safe? Should I activate those spies first? Send you out of Japan? They're all strong, and their own channels are absolutely safe."

Lu Mingfei felt a sudden tightness in his chest for no reason; he knew that Nuwa was getting back to the important matter at hand.

When I first entered Japan,
Nuwa had inquired about the incident involving the smuggling boat, and she immediately seized upon Zhou Minhao, who was in charge of arranging the route, and gave him a severe beating.
After Lu Mingfei landed, he was successfully rescued by Potato Chip Girl and immediately contacted Nuwa to let her know he was safe.

of course.

Lu Mingfei's wording on the phone was that he had some connections in Japan and was currently being taken care of by "a good brother's subordinate".

At that time, he was working at a branch of the company under Potato Chip Girl. Lu Mingfei pulled the branch manager, a middle-aged man with a full beard who looked very reliable, into a group photo and sent it to Nuwa. He also had the guy say a few words to Nuwa, basically telling her not to worry, since it was a rare occasion for Brother Mingfei to come, he would definitely be treated to good food and drink...

Perhaps it was the way she called him "sister-in-law" that pleased her, or perhaps it was the various guns and ammunition hanging on the wall that made it look very legitimate. In any case, after being wanted for the first time, Nuwa let Lu Mingfei continue to travel with "them" in Japan.

However, the second wanted notice was completely different from the first in both intensity and severity.

Lately, she's been feeling inexplicably worried.

At this moment, they heard Nuwa's suggestion.

"No need, we are all safe."

Lu Mingfei's face twitched slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Hmm... they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves, so we don't need to worry too much about the bounty."

"Oh."

Nuwa naturally did not distinguish between 'they' and 'them'.

However, she could accept Lu Mingfei's explanation to some extent.

In the bounty post on the hunter website, besides her arranging for the Zhou family to get involved, she also noticed another unknown force creating momentum. In short, two groups of online trolls were working together. The latter group was even more adept at the propaganda war.
On one hand, they claimed that the poster was purely engaging in telecom fraud, intending to lure people from the Hunter website to be their guinea pigs for genetic experiments. They said that the previous test subjects had suffered terribly, and now that they had used them up, they were preparing to restock. They even posted pictures with thin codes.

On one hand, they say that buying Lu Mingfei's head for 50 billion yen is just a middleman making a profit, that's incredibly greedy. Normally, the bounty for this kind of contestant would be zero, but he's an S-class hybrid, incredibly powerful, and his combat strength is verifiable. You freaks will be sweating bullets when others even glance at you.

On one hand, they said the damn administrator was just greedy for money, all he did was drain the pond and lead everyone into a pit. Others might not know who Lu Mingfei is, but you do, right? They even featured and pinned the post, treating our family like they're Japanese.

Although some comments were NUKED for using inappropriate words or verbally attacking moderators and administrators, many of the posters were old accounts registered several or even more than a decade ago. If those old IDs from that period were still active on the forum, they would have become big shots by now, the kind who would be surrounded and photographed just for replying to a post.

Even though these accounts were banned, the posts were so popular that many people took screenshots of the replies, which still tells us something.

Many hunters across the ocean canceled their plane tickets, planning to play it by ear, or just sit back and watch the show if things don't work out.

Even though the pressure remains, at least things won't turn into a city covered in golden armor.

Therefore, even Nuwa had to admit it.
Lu Mingfei's "good brother's subordinate" is indeed quite capable.

There are at least so many old accounts in the Hunter Market. Even if you add up all the legitimate accounts, let alone the Zhou family, you still can't gather them all.

More than a decade ago, the global internet was still in its infancy, and the Hunter website was probably just a beta version; it didn't have the popularity it has today.

"OK OK."

"How have you been lately? Is the reform on the orthodox side going smoothly?"

Lu Mingfei quickly changed the subject.
He was terrified that Nuwa would say she wanted to treat "them" to a meal to properly thank them.

"It's alright, but it wasn't that smooth sailing either. We've been arguing with the Secret Service the whole time."

Nuwa ran her fingers through her long, smooth hair and sighed.

"Within the Secret Party system, Angers and Cheng Shuangfan, the two key figures, are cooperating fairly well, and we have enough determination. However, in practice, the accumulated problems of decades or even thousands of years will not be completely eliminated so quickly. My current idea is to focus on absorbing fresh blood, but I estimate that this will also take a process."

"Is it difficult to recruit students?" Lu Mingfei followed up on her question.

"Hmm." Nuwa's little face was a little melancholy: "The problem isn't with the teaching staff, but mainly with the students' own wishes. Most of the mixed-race students from outside the area prefer to study abroad... For example, the preparatory class at Kassel College that is being disbanded. I was originally thinking of taking over all of those students. But we also have to consider the students' own preferences. Although we offer better preferential conditions, many people still want to go to Kassel College. It's not easy to force them."

"Forced relationships don't work; you have to rely on attraction," Lu Mingfei said.

"Yes, most of them are actually fine. At worst, they can just part ways amicably. We're not some old feudal forces."

Nuwa sighed: "There is a pity about a little girl with A-level bloodline. She is a year younger than you. She was originally studying in the preparatory class of Kassel College. I feel that she has a lot of talent and is also beautiful... But after sending people to contact her, it seems that she is quite resistant to our orthodox lineage. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding between our ancestors and the orthodox lineage."

Nuwa said with some regret, "Alas, it's hard to say. She feels that she absolutely has to go to Kassel College, otherwise she would rather live a peaceful life as an ordinary person."

"Let her go to Kassel College," Lu Mingfei said nonchalantly.

"Well, it's a matter of free choice. Ultimately, wherever you go, you'll be contributing to the dragon-slaying cause. Angers has been very accommodating. The Orthodox and the Secret Society will continue to cooperate. There's no need to see things in black and white."

"Then Angers also said that he could arrange some outstanding students from China to assist us in our teaching practice activities. Kassel College's teaching experience has been proven over the years and has its merits... But I have to think about it. Tsk, it's quite troublesome."

Nuwa sighed and said, "The world of hybrids is also a martial arts world. In the end, human relationships are more important than fighting and killing."

……

An hour later, the call was finally disconnected.

Nuwa has indeed been very busy lately, with various coordination and detailed decisions causing her to lose several strands of hair.

After listening to the current policies and implementation status of the orthodox system, Lu Mingfei mentioned again that if it was convenient, she should also arrange for someone to investigate 'Neo the Boar'. He stated that this person was related to Odin and Deadpool technology, which was the result of his 'wanted' status. Of course, there was also some information about the Ghost Clan.

Nuwa naturally agreed.

After finishing their business, the two began to talk intimately, seemingly oblivious to the presence of others.

This is a standard "long phone call" routine between couples.

call--

"You see, it's really not that interesting... right?"

Lu Mingfei unscrewed the water bottle, took a big gulp, let out a long breath, and awkwardly turned to look at Ling, who was standing outside the camera's range.

"Why don't you go and rest first? It's just a phone call. I can take care of myself. There's really no danger here."

They watched the two of them whispering sweet nothings to each other through the screen for over half an hour.
“I’m not that tired. Your attention will be distracted and your vigilance will be lowered when you’re on the phone.” Zero remained expressionless, her gaze even calmer than before.

"There's one more. You continue. I'll rest after I finish."

"Ugh."

Lu Mingfei rubbed his cheeks helplessly.

He was truly at a loss when it came to this stubborn girl.

Especially since Nuwa seemed to have noticed his poor condition just now, she deliberately picked out some corny phrases she learned from the internet to tease him. Don't be fooled by Nuwa's youthful appearance, which makes her look like a little girl. In reality, her physical and mental age is older than his and Su Xiaoqiang's. She's also a seasoned internet surfer, so teasing her boyfriend on the phone is no problem for her.

Normally it's fine.

This time, however, there was a guy standing there like a wooden stake, watching from the sidelines.
Even though Lu Mingfei prided himself on having a thick skin and didn't care about other people's opinions at all.

But I still couldn't quite handle it; my face flushed red and then turned pale.

So Nuwa became even more smug on the phone and pressed her advantage.

Teasing him relentlessly.

……

Di-

Su Xiaoqiang's call was successfully connected.

Today is the weekend, and there are no classes at Shilan Middle School. Little Fairy has a habit of sleeping in late, and she was woken up by a special reminder message around 9:00 AM.

Good morning, little fairy.

Good morning, Mingfei.

Su Xiaoqiang covered her mouth and yawned. Perhaps because she had just woken up, her voice was not as domineering as usual, but rather had a soft and sweet tone.

She wasn't angry at being woken up; on the contrary, she was happy to see the smiling boy on the screen.

The background is also a bedroom, with a layer of gauze covering the bed in a warm yellow tone. Unlike the grand and solemn main bedroom of Zhou Jiawa, her bedroom is also exquisitely decorated, with various limited edition dolls and ornaments that are quite expensive, full of girlish softness.

Compared to Nuwa's bedroom, Lu Mingfei was much more familiar with Su Xiaoqiang's bedroom.

I've been here before.

"Huh? Isn't this angle a bit off? Can you even see me?" Su Xiaoqiang sat at her computer desk, examining the small window in the video frame.

"It's alright, we can go up a little bit," Lu Mingfei said.

"Ah."

Su Xiaoqiang hummed in agreement, then leaned closer and began to make serious adjustments.

Winter had passed, and she had just woken up and finished washing up at home. She was still wearing loose and thin pajamas. The moment she leaned down and got close to the camera, the whole world seemed to consist only of her fair skin and snowy whiteness.

"puff!"

Lu Mingfei couldn't hold back any longer, and the little bit of health he had managed to recover was wiped out again by a single punch.

"Cough cough!—"

He almost choked to death on his own saliva.

Zero remained hidden in the shadows, constantly watching the computer screen. She subconsciously looked down at her chest.

His face showed a serious expression of contemplation.

It's like a philosophical viewpoint on the relationship between proportion and quantity.

I could hear the sounds coming from the video and speakers.

"What are you doing!"

Su Xiaoqiang instantly regained her senses.

She quickly pulled away, covered her collar, and glared fiercely at Lu Mingfei on the screen with a look of shame and indignation.

"Nothing! I didn't see anything!"

Lu Mingfei quickly clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and put on an expression as if he had no regrets in life and had already attained enlightenment.

"You... hum!"

Su Xiaoqiang's cheeks flushed red and hot. After holding it in for a long time, she finally gave a forced, insincere hum.

Immediately, she cleared her throat, her voice sweet and cloying.

"Hehehehe, actually, it's only right that I show it to you."

"Mingfei, how about I take a look at it for you, so you won't secretly look at other girls outside?"

"Come on, open your eyes."

"!"

Lu Mingfei did indeed open his eyes, but his face was filled with terror. He stretched out his hands, as if he wanted to pounce on the screen.

"Please don't!"

As he pressed himself against the wall, his eyes kept glancing in another direction in the room.

Damn... This is so embarrassing!
What are you all up to, one by one!

Do not!
There's a third one!
Why is Zero still pretending to be stupid!

Is this a channel you can watch?
But Zero pretended not to understand the hint in his eyes.

He just stood there, motionless.

Lu Mingfei groaned inwardly, as if he could hear Zero's inner monologue.

Hey hey hey—Lu Mingfei, I've kept my word as agreed and haven't bothered them. I've been very cooperative, okay? You can forget about doing anything outside of the agreement.

Is that right?
That's what she must be thinking!
hateful!

The panel's assessment was correct; this girl is definitely cunning!

At this moment, in the video footage...

"Don't?"

Su Xiaoqiang looked at Lu Mingfei with suspicion as he frantically pressed the computer screen with both hands, and deliberately misinterpreted his words, asking, "Does that mean you still want to see other girls?"

She was still covering her collar with her hand and remained seated, so there was no violation of regulations; she was just trying to scare him.

But the subtle warning in those beautiful eyes didn't seem fake.

Lu Mingfei stood frozen in front of the screen.

at the same time,

call--

I heard faint breathing again beside me, like the wind blowing from the Arctic glacier.

The sudden gust of wind startled him.

Lu Mingfei suppressed his subconscious instinct to turn his head and avert his gaze.
He gave a dry laugh.

No...no.

(End of this chapter)