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

Chapter 165 Erii: Ah, it's my online friend!

An underground research institute deep in the mountains of Hokkaido.

"Are you kidding me?! Are you kidding me?! You bastard! What kind of bastard is this?!"

"He just killed me like that? What kind of brute is he! Is there no reasoning with him?!"

The sudden, fatal attack pierced through 'Tachibana Masamune's' head.

Anger, shock, and lingering, intense pain churned within Herzog's true form, eroding his sanity like a venomous snake.

today.

He lost his most crucial shadow clone, 'Tachibana Masamune'.

Herzog is practically going crazy.

how many years?

This was the second person, after the man named Bondarev, to make him taste this almost 'humiliating' death.

Most importantly, there are still traces of Bondarev's black gun from back then.

This person's 'black gun' was completely without reason!

why?
Why?
You just killed a yakuza patriarch from the Snake Clan like that?
There wasn't even a chance for them to exchange two sentences?
What's the rush? What good will doing this do you?
The humiliation, confusion, bewilderment, and a host of other feelings of bewilderment and resentment led Herzog to begin to question the meaning of life.

This is simply unbelievable!
Especially when I recall the seemingly serious analysis I had just given in my mind...

bang bang bang-

Several bottles of genuine Russian Kalashnikov vodka were smashed to the ground. The AK-47 rifle-shaped glass bottles shattered with a crackling sound, and the clear liquid released a rich aroma that filled the entire room.

"what!"

Herzog couldn't help but scream.

for a long time.

The pungent smell filled her nostrils, and Herzog took several deep breaths, which finally calmed her flushed face somewhat.

"Calm down, Herzog, calm down! Let's analyze this carefully. This person is using a long, cylindrical weapon; they must have been lying in ambush for a while..."

There was a pause.

Herzog took a blood pressure pill from the drawer, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it with water.

Gumbling—

He is very old.

His medical knowledge told him that he couldn't indulge his emotions too much; he had to maintain self-control before ascending to godhood...

At this moment, Herzog slowly regained his fox-like wisdom.

They quickly discovered several key points.

“This person actually knew about the existence of the ξ layer… and even guessed that I would go in that direction.” Herzog frowned.

"Could it be that it predicted my prediction? That doesn't make sense, because suddenly going to the ξ layer doesn't actually fit 'Tachibana Masamune's' usual behavior."

"It seems I'm being monitored, probably by Kaguya... My worst guess was right. In such a short time, they still managed to crack Kaguya's underlying code... What terrifying technology!"

"Fortunately, I made Kaguya self-destruct decisively. Caution is useful. At least now the opponent can't rely on Kaguya's power too much."

"Hiss... It seems their team is quite large. Coordinating the attack downstairs requires manpower, hacking the computer requires manpower, holding off Genji requires manpower, and setting up ambushes on multiple fronts also requires manpower... Especially the latter two, Lu Mingfei alone certainly wouldn't be able to do all of this in time..."

“Well, it’s not necessarily too late if he doesn’t stop at all… Damn, does he really have such terrifying execution ability?” Herzog kept muttering to himself.

"My plans have been disrupted, and Kazama Ruri is constantly causing trouble. Only Genjiro is a qualified pawn..."

"But the same question remains! Why did this guy try to kill me the moment we met?"

I thought about it carefully.

Herzog's old face tightened with wrinkles once again.

This was the only thing he couldn't understand.

If the combination of attacks from the Paradise Mansion and the Genji Heavy Industries machine room left him defenseless, then the third punch from the entrance to the ξ floor completely stunned him.

No matter how rationally he analyzed it, he couldn't find any logic in Tachibana Masamune's sudden death!

You can kidnap, torture, abuse, extort... whatever you want, it's fine.

But you should never kill someone upon first meeting them!
All our efforts were in vain, all our efforts were in vain...

"Damn it! I can't let him realize that Tachibana Masamune is a disguise user, can I? That would be even worse!"

Herzog's breathing quickened again.

He felt his intellect was being challenged like never before.

A moment of silence,

"call--"

Herzog exhaled and rubbed his old face vigorously.

"It might be for some other reason... I can't rush things. I need to think about how to end Tachibana Masamune's identity first."

He poured himself a glass of vodka.

Let's calm down.

However, after a few sips of vodka,
Herzog couldn't help but slap himself.

damn it!
Why!

Where exactly did I give myself away?

……

Genji Heavy Industries, ξ layer.

In the spacious corridor, sturdy doors made of black metal stand on either side of the partitions, flashing signs that read 'Danger Zone' and 'No Entry'.

“Without a doubt, this is a Shadow Warrior,” Lu Mingfei said with certainty.

He squatted down and carefully examined Tachibana Masamune's corpse from head to toe, like a customer carefully selecting vegetables at a market.

"How...how did you know?"

Zero's voice was unusually tinged with a slight stutter.

She was also quite shocked by Lu Mingfei's decision to kill Tachibana Masamune outright.

Although Princess Kaguya had loudly urged them to kill Tachibana Masamune while they were in the computer room, it was out of some irrational desire for revenge.

That's not actually the right thing to do.

After all, Tachibana Masamune was the patriarch of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, with extremely high prestige and popularity. Killing him would not seem to have any positive effect other than angering the Snake-Headed Eight Families.

"My guess."

"..." Zero fell silent.

After Lu Mingfei finished speaking, he leisurely reached into Tachibana Masamune's black haori.

Upon closer inspection, he indeed pulled out a pair of familiar wooden clappers.

"What do you think this is?"

Ling froze, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at Lu Mingfei.

this is not……

Lu Mingfei smiled smugly and said to himself, "Tsk, Tachibana Masamune and the King's plagiarism rate is a bit high. They use Deadpool technology, Bangzi technology, and Shadow Warrior technology, and they're both accompanied by a King. Hehe, I have a bold guess..."

He suddenly stopped and deliberately raised his chin towards Zero, reminding him, "Give me some reaction!"

“…What bold guess?” Zero said.

"They are both Herzog."

"OK."

Fortunately, Zero was wearing a mask from her combat suit, so her expression didn't reveal anything.

Is Lu Mingfei's conjecture reasonable?

That must have a reason.

Tachibana Masamune is equivalent to King, equivalent to Herzog.

If we work backward from this result, all the problems can be explained.

But it's obvious.

Lu Mingfei's reasoning is highly suspicious of being a case of "shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target."

More importantly.

There is currently no direct evidence to suggest that the corpse on the ground is a shadow warrior, rather than the patriarch of the Snake Clan, 'Tachibana Masamune' himself.

If we consider the perspective of Tachibana Masamune and the King engaging in deep cooperation, those issues can also be explained.

And from the perspective of respecting the intelligence of the Snake Clan, this sounds more reliable than the idea that the two of them are one person... Well, okay, that doesn't seem very respectful either.

However, Zero naturally wouldn't refute anything.

Whatever Lu Mingfei says goes; just listen and do as he says.

Even if she guessed wrong, now that Tachibana Masamune is dead, there's no need to distinguish right from wrong. She will only stand on Lu Mingfei's side and will not stand up for Tachibana Masamune.

"Let's listen to him. If that's the case... what exactly does the Doctor want?" Zero fell into deep thought.

click -

Lu Mingfei pulled the Tiger Roar Fang Spear from Tachibana Masamune's head.

He kicked the motionless corpse on the ground.

He certainly has 'conclusive evidence' that Tachibana Masamune is a masked warrior.

From the moment he met Yuan Zhisheng, Lu Mingfei's vague suspicions had now been confirmed.
Coincidence? There aren't that many coincidences.

It has to be Herzog!
But this guy's got some skills.

He plays two roles, dominating the mixed-race society of this entire country, constantly instigating conflicts between the two sides, while he uses the opportunities of war to continuously enhance his reputation, and ultimately completely control all the resources of the Snake Clan and the Demon Clan...

"Now I understand why the King has enough resources to research and create the fifth generation of Shadow Warriors. It turns out that the behemoth that is the Snake Clan is providing him with resources."

of course,

Tachibana Masamune's body was surprisingly weak.

It's about the same level as the substitute that the Chen family patriarch used to have.

Based on the 'Tachibana Masamune's rise to power' provided in the materials, this is probably a character design that Herzog deliberately created.

To summarize Tachibana Masamune's legendary life in one sentence.

Within an ancient and powerful family, a once-glorious surname has fallen into decline. At a time of crisis for the family, a member of a collateral branch, whose lineage is indistinguishable and whose strength is not great, steps forward. He is both intelligent and brave, always leading from the front. Through his repeated acts of selflessness and sacrifice, he eventually gains everyone's approval and ascends to the position of patriarch...

"Tsk, no wonder he dared to take on so many deadly missions and outlast all his competitors. Turns out he's a shadow warrior and a double agent. That makes sense." Lu Mingfei sorted out his thoughts and felt he was gradually understanding everything.

Zero, understanding perfectly, snapped out of his thoughts and asked in a low voice:
"What should we do now?"

"Keep a close eye on this corpse, beware of Tachibana Masamune rising from the dead." Lu Mingfei's expression turned serious. "The Shadow Warrior technique cannot be exposed. The King can resurrect infinitely without any scruples because in the eyes of the world, he is an unkillable monster!"

“Tachibana Masamune is different. He has always been a glorious and majestic patriarch. If it is discovered that he can be resurrected like the King, wouldn’t he also become a monster? In that case, not only us, but others will also become suspicious. I believe that there are definitely other people within the Snake Clan who are always watching him. At that time, his identity will be ruined!”

“But right now, only we know that Tachibana Masamune is dead,” Zero said softly.

"That's right, it's a pity that there are no security cameras at the stairwell on this floor."

Lu Mingfei looked up and scanned the hidden floor deep inside the building.

This place is very special.

He had already sensed something was amiss.

Princess Kaguya provided him with initial directions.

Halfway through, he discovered a peculiar red line extending in that direction.

Combined with Princess Kaguya's warning, he immediately realized Tachibana Masamune's intentions.

There must be a hidden card in the Snake Clan's hand. Princess Kaguya, with her potato chip girl mindset, even thought that if Tachibana Masamune got this card, her and Zero's first choice would be to run away on the spot... What a powerful person she is!
However, to be honest, this place is indeed a bit eerie.

Everything around them was empty and filled with the smell of disinfectant, as if it had been frozen in time. There was no sound except for the two of them, as if even time itself had been frozen in a vortex and stopped flowing.

The door in front of me looks very heavy, almost as heavy as the door to Kaguya's server room.

"Is it a person? Or a special Deadpool?" Lu Mingfei wondered.

However, it wasn't a big problem. In the end, he arrived here before Tachibana Masamune and sent the old man to his death on the spot!

"I actually hope that Tachibana Masamune can be resurrected on the spot as soon as possible, so that we can use his corpse to slap the faces of the Snake-Headed Eight Families!" Lu Mingfei sneered.

Zero had to remind him, "You've already poked his face to pieces."

"Hiss... Holy crap!"

Lu Mingfei brushed aside the messy white hair that was stuck together with thick blood.

Having glimpsed Tachibana Masamune's stats from the shadows, he aimed for the head to ensure a fatal blow, resulting in a gaping hole in Tachibana Masamune's face and nearly half of his features being destroyed...

"It's not a big problem. It's not completely rotten, so it should still be usable, and the shape and outline are still there."

"Ahem, anyway! Keep his body safe! We'll parade it through the streets later!"

Lu Mingfei spoke righteously and earnestly, sharing his experience with Ling.

"That's how you deal with a shadow warrior. The most crucial step is to make him disappear from the public eye, to expose and ruin his public persona!"

"Ok."

Zero nodded obediently, indicating that he had learned something.

"Do you have any other ideas? You can bring them up and we can discuss them." Lu Mingfei noticed her unusual behavior.

Zero hesitated for a moment, "Um, you don't have to be in such a hurry next time..."

"What?"

“I can try using the Mirror Eye to examine his memories,” Zero said softly.

"..."

Lu Mingfei suddenly stood up.

"Where are you going?" Zero asked, somewhat surprised.

Lu Mingfei raised his finger and pressed down on his palm.

Something inside is about to come out.

Zero was stunned; she hadn't heard anything.

Lu Mingfei stared intently at the metal doors on both sides of the corridor.

In his field of vision.

The extremely thick red thread stretched along his heart and was slowly moving towards the door.

very powerful.

But it gives off a...sneaky feeling?

……

Only one person lives on the ξ floor of Genji Heavy Industries year-round.

The head of the Uesugi family, Uesugi Erii.

ξ is a Greek numeral that represents 'unknown' in mathematics. Therefore, even among the Eight Families of Snake, very few people know about the existence of this floor. In reality, it exists between the 55th and 56th floors.

This place is almost at the top floor of Genji Heavy Industries. On a rainy day, standing on such a high floor, you can touch the clouds and the sky. Looking down, the crowds look like bluish-black ants crawling on the ground. However, the ξ floor is inside the building and is completely enclosed on all sides.

Normally, only Genjiro, Tachibana Masamune, a very small number of close associates and medical staff are allowed inside.

Today, Erii plans to run away from home.

This was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Few people know that she possesses hearing abilities that are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

She heard the strange occurrences in the building from upstairs and realized that this might be a good time for her to run away from home.

So she quickly tore off her bed sheet, stuffed her cherished toys, such as the little yellow duck, Rilakkuma, and Barbie doll, into the sheet, tied a knot, and then began her eighth attempt at running away from home.

For Erii's simple life, the world is divided into two parts: the inside and the outside.

Inside, there are endless injections, endless tests, and a monotonous corridor that you can walk to the end in a minute or two.

Outside, there are cars, people, and the beautiful world depicted in anime and games. The people she plays games with online also live outside, along with her only two PSN friends, 'SakurA1000'.

She wanted to go out and have fun, anywhere was fine as long as she was outside.

As for the gunshots and explosions happening inside the building... she didn't distinguish between good and evil or between different stances, because no one taught her that. Her worldview was mostly formed through games and anime, and she had never received formal education from childhood to adulthood.

Explosion? Gunfight?
That's how it is in games.

All she knew was that if her brother was busy, she could sneak out to play.

Based on her past experience, running away from home is a very difficult thing. Just getting out of the building is a 'hard' level challenge. In the previous seven times she ran away from home, she was discovered four times before she even left the building. Her best achievement was reaching the crossroads outside the building.

However, she has already learned from her experience.

This time there shouldn't be any problems, right?

And who knows... maybe you'll get lucky and run into a friend from the game?

Anyway, they live outside.

"Perfect opportunity to beat him up!"

Erii thought of this, and a hint of excitement appeared in her dark red eyes, her naturally dark red hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"And ZerO0001!"

Thinking of the other game friend she added last night, Erii became even more motivated, wishing she could sprout wings and fly away.

Of course, you shouldn't beat the latter up; he's a good person.

thump—

Just then, a muffled sound came from outside the building.

Erii jumped up like a startled rabbit.

A very familiar voice.

It sounded like something had broken, somewhat similar to the sound my brother used to make when he cracked a watermelon with his bare hands.

Then silence fell outside.

Erii subconsciously held her breath and concentrated, her hearing amplified once again as she focused her attention.

With her lineage, she could easily detect the barely perceptible heartbeat outside, even through a corridor several tens of meters long and two metal doors several tens of centimeters thick.

There are two heartbeats.

There was supposed to be a third heartbeat, but after the watermelon broke, that very noticeable heartbeat stopped.

stranger……

Erii understood.

The third heartbeat that stopped was relatively familiar to her; it was her 'father'.

'Father' is a very strange old man.

Erii wondered if it was just her imagination, but her 'father' was sometimes very kind to her, but other times he would act strangely. They often didn't see each other for a long time, and the details of her 'father's' heartbeat would change, like the attributes of a character changing after changing equipment in a game, making her feel somewhat unfamiliar with him.

However, her brother respects their father very much and tells her to listen to him. Erii is a very obedient child and will do as her brother says.

but now.

Is 'Father' dead?

...My brother must be sad, right?
Erii quietly put down the bundle of bed sheets in her hand and prepared to return to her room.

Not afraid anymore.

Instead, they went to get weapons.

There was a samurai sword in the closet of the room. It was given to her by her brother, who said that she should use it to protect herself if a stranger came in one day.

But then, the door opened from the outside.

Someone entered the password correctly.

The heavy metal door began to release the high-pressure nitrogen gas from the valve, the indicator light above changed from red to green, and the twelve safety bolts simultaneously made a soft 'click' sound, and the 20-centimeter-thick hard alloy door slowly opened.

That's too late!

Erii was startled and ran away.

She suddenly heard someone call her name from behind.

"Eriyi!"

That was a boy's voice.

Erii ran even faster; the room was right in front of her!
The boy's voice suddenly became tense and anxious, and he called out names again.

"Eri's PSN! Don't run away! I'm SakurA1000!"

The shrine maiden's rapidly moving legs beneath her skirt suddenly froze.

A look of bewilderment crossed his dark red eyes.

what?
Netizens have come knocking on our door?
(End of this chapter)