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

Chapter 222 Charlotte: Can I really join their play?
The Göttingen family estate, outside the manor.

"Welcome to the Göttingen family... four of you."

Charlotte, dressed in a fitted white gown, her pale blonde hair styled in a medieval European aristocratic updo, and wearing an exquisite top hat, stood before the snow-white fence, a smile playing on her lips, her gaze sweeping over Lu Mingfei, who had arrived just in time.
And his three female companions.

Damn it... why did he bring his girlfriends along?

Charlotte couldn't help but grumble inwardly, but she maintained a Snow White-like smile on her face. Behind her, the equally formally dressed butler Fox held up a black umbrella with gold embroidery, the handle of which was engraved with the Gottingen family crest, a pot and a spoon.

"Good afternoon, Miss Charlotte. I apologize for the sudden visit, but it's because there's been a new breakthrough in my research."

Standing at the threshold, Lu Mingfei, dressed in simple custom-made casual wear, greeted everyone politely.

And standing behind him,
Su Xiaoqiang, Ling, and Erii, each dressed in traditional Chinese, Russian, and Japanese-style gowns reserved for formal occasions, greeted Charlotte—of course, Erii still held up her notebook.

Four beautiful young girls, as delicate as flowers, stood at the entrance of the Göttingen family manor, creating an atmosphere of competition for attention.

After Lu Mingfei finished greeting everyone, he felt as if he had been excluded.

The reason Lu Mingfei couldn't immediately take the yacht out to sea with Su Xiaoqiang and his group from their base in Porto was actually because they had to visit the Göttingen family...

All I can say is that the atmosphere in the living room at that time was very subtle.

Fortunately, Lu Mingfei quickly figured out the reason just before the group collapsed.

Agreements should not be easily changed.

And treating the former patriarch of the Gao Tinggen family was partly for the purpose of collecting samples from Su Xiaoqiang... but that reason had already been used.

The girls were naturally unwilling to give up so easily.

He immediately said that he could go find Charlotte, but they had to come with him.

...Lu Mingfei repeatedly emphasized that he was not going to see Charlotte, but to see Old Deng.

Useless.

Su Xiaoqiang was unwilling to let some random woman steal her thunder at this crucial moment.

They insisted on coming over under the guise of a follow-up visit.

And others are not willing to be outdone.

In the end, besides the fact that Nuwa's snake tail was too conspicuous and she went to the yacht ahead of time, even Erii followed her.

Lu Mingfei, however, was genuinely indifferent to this.

There was nothing between him and Charlotte to begin with, so this is good, it just proves that he is innocent!
Charlotte's side... must be very hospitable, right?
We didn't linger at the entrance for too long; after a brief introduction,

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Su, Miss Zero, Miss Uesugi." Charlotte gracefully lifted her skirt and curtsied, performing a classic aristocratic gesture.

“Miss Charlotte, is it convenient for you to see Mr. Aiton now?” Lu Mingfei asked proactively.

"Mr. Lu, you've come all this way, don't you need to rest for a bit?" Charlotte asked in surprise.

"No need, no need, we're in a hurry too," Lu Mingfei quickly waved his hand.

"...You've really worked hard, Mr. Lu."

Charlotte took a deep breath and smiled, saying, "Butler Fox, please lead the way, sir. Please follow me on a tour of the Gottingen Estate, our distinguished guests."

Lu Mingfei had a vague feeling that the three girls were there to cause trouble, and that staying here might not be a good thing for him.

They immediately ran away with the old steward.

However, the scene on the spot was not as bloody as he had imagined.

We are all civilized people.

The little princess has been attending various high-society gatherings with her father since she was a child, and is well-versed in all kinds of etiquette. She even recently took a crash course in the proper etiquette system.
Needless to say, the identity of the princess bearing the surname Romanova was a forgery, but since no one has been able to expose it after so many years, it is basically considered true.

Erii may seem naive and cute at first glance, but she is actually a top-notch shrine maiden trained by the Hidden Emperor Sheki family of Japan. In "Kouryū", her title is Inner Princess, which would be equivalent to "Son" in the Heian period and "Mikoto" in the Age of Gods.

Their behavior was stiff and formal, polite but awkward.

Charlotte, with a gentle smile on her face, exuding the grace of a noblewoman, walked gracefully ahead and began to introduce the distinguished guests to the Gottingen family's impressive resources and the beautiful scenery inside and outside the estate.

Although it was unclear why these three girls had suddenly come with Lu Mingfei,
But that doesn't stop us from treating them with genuine aristocratic etiquette.

But soon,

After talking with them, Charlotte was surprised to find that all three girls were actually very outstanding.
Her manners and speech were very refined, and her knowledge and insight were quite remarkable... This was quite different from what she had initially imagined.

"Then why did the three of them choose to become Lu Mingfei's girlfriends together?"

Charlotte suddenly felt a surge of curiosity.

She suppressed it again.

Forget it, true nobles don't gossip about others.

……

On the other side of the manor, in a secret underground area, lies the medical room.

It brings together the most advanced medical and alchemical equipment from the Köttingen family, providing the most solid support.
The loyal old butler silently closed the door behind him.

"How have you been lately, Mr. Elton?"

Lu Mingfei asked.

“Mr. Lu, there’s no need to use the word ‘recently,’ after all, it’s been less than 20 hours since we last met.”

On the hospital bed, the old man scratched his thinning hair.

"To be precise, it was 14 hours and 37 minutes."

As a master alchemist of the highest caliber, Aiton has always been very sensitive to the concept of time.

"Haha... Let's get started then."

Lu Mingfei stopped making awkward small talk.

Lu Mingfei was initially quite confident about his solution to Aiton's problem.

In particular, he later received a knowledge gift from Nicholas—the Flamel lineage has always been quite accomplished in the design of alchemical matrices.

Lu Mingfei had already tried it out last night after the life puppet was modified.

Following Norton's line of thought, and with the help of the body's innate proficiency, they quickly deduced a way to complete the details of the alchemical matrix implanted in Aiton's body.

For someone with such a deep background as Ayton Gottingen, there's no need to consider any 'optimal solution'.
He could push his four-wheeled carriage across the bridge by simply placing a log on it.

……

Porto's west coast, a port city.

The azure sea surges, and the snow-white waves wash over the beach, creating golden foam in the sunlight.

Within a small group.

"The Gottingen girl is a really nice person. She's a true aristocrat...you know, the kind you see in British dramas, with a touch of down-on-her-luck..."

"She's probably in a bind. She's probably too busy dealing with family matters to think about romantic relationships..."

"The main thing is their personalities. To be honest, I find it hard to imagine that a girl with such a pure-blooded aristocratic style could get along with Lu Mingfei. I guess they just don't like each other..."

"And another thing, Lu Mingfei was very polite when he talked to her, almost like he was talking to a stranger, which was really awkward, you know? Not just the two of them, I could feel the awkwardness myself..."

Nuwa picked up her phone, looking at the frequent reports of good news coming from afar. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she tentatively began to type.

"So...it's not a big problem?"

If it weren't for the restriction of her snake tail, Nuwa would also like to meet the young lady from the Go Ting Gen family.

"Hmm, I don't think it's a big problem."

It's as if you can feel Su Xiaoqiang's joy even through the screen.

Compared to Erii and Zero, Su Xiaoqiang felt no threat from Charlotte this time. Both subjective and objective evidence showed that she was genuinely relaxed. Everyone has selfish motives, and of course, she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"good."

The message was brief and to the point.

This icy girl's observations went even further than Su Xiaoqiang's.
Charlotte's attitude towards Lu Mingfei was not friendly at all; in fact, she seemed to have a slight aversion to him, or even dislike him. It was like a spring being compressed and then starting to generate elastic force in the opposite direction.

It's clear that Charlotte has been a privileged girl since childhood, but it's understandable that her mentality would become unbalanced when she met another true genius. Zero believes that Lu Mingfei's appearance robbed her of her sense of identity.

The rest of the conclusions are similar to those of Su Xiaoqiang.

In short, they are definitely not on the same path!

"So what are you doing now? When are you coming over?"

Nuwa asked.

"Lu Mingfei just finished treating the old patriarch of the Gao Tinggen family. Charlotte has gone to check on the results. We can leave once he comes out." Su Xiaoqiang typed.

To be honest, she was tired of putting on airs in the noble territory all the time.

"Hurry! Hurry! Urgent!"

Nuwa finally breathed a sigh of relief, tossed her phone aside after sending the message.
I confidently leaped into the sun deck pool of the Evrima, like a mermaid.

……

In the medical room, underground at the Göttingen estate.

"Grandpa, how are you feeling?" Charlotte asked.

"Great! Greater than ever before!"

Ayton Göttingen climbed out of his hospital bed.

After receiving an injection of a buffer to neutralize the effects of Friga's anesthesia, the old man immediately became energetic and even started humming and gesturing in place.

Compared to the feeling of fullness when I first drew the matrix, this time I felt a warm current flowing through my body, like basking in the sun in a winter garden.

"The digestion rate is currently 24%. To be on the safe side, the remaining spirit will be digested gradually through aggregation and absorption, with each cycle lasting 26 days. It is expected to reach 92% by the end of this year. During this period, the remaining spirit will be suppressed by another matrix, so it will not have a significant impact. Just pay a little attention to it normally."

Lu Mingfei recorded data in his notebook with great professionalism.

According to Nicholas's alchemical knowledge, he could have used the Dragon Matrix to semi-permanently harden parts of Aidon's body, turning it into a mixture of metal and flesh, which would greatly increase its strength and durability.

However, this kind of mechanical ascension-style physical modification is a bit strange.
Lu Mingfei simply followed the steps to complete the matrix depiction related to mental power.

“Thank you again for your help, Mr. Lu Mingfei.” The old patriarch bowed solemnly. “The Gao Tinggen family will always remember your friendship.”

Charlotte, who was standing nearby, also bowed.

High-ranking hybrids typically live to be no less than one hundred years old, and Aiton Gottingen is only eighty this year, in the prime of his life.

With the addition of such a young and able-bodied member to the workforce, life will become much easier for both the Göttingen family and Charlotte herself.

"No need to be polite, let's just each take what we need."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for formalities, and was about to take his leave.

Elton and Charlotte exchanged a glance, then suddenly called out to him:

"By the way, I heard that Mr. Lu is now also a member of the Board of Trustees of Kassel College?"

"Hmm...I think so." Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment.

This contact with the Gottingen family was facilitated by Angers.
Although Lu Mingfei's plan to attend the next board meeting has not been fully made public, it is already an open secret among insiders.

For example, Hilbert Jean Angers, Elizabeth Laurent, Charlotte Gottingen… and possibly Frost Gattuso.

Aiton said earnestly, "It's like this. I know that Mr. Lu's alchemy cannot be measured by mere worldly things, and verbal thanks would sound rather empty. In the end, it seems that you've gone to all this trouble for nothing. Although my condition is currently kept secret, if word gets out in the future, people will think that the Gautingen family is really stingy, only offering a few scattered Philosopher's Stones as a reward for saving the patriarch..."

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment, and finally seemed to understand what Aiton meant... So he was planning to ask for more money?
Holy crap, no wonder they're an alchemy family with a thousand-year-old tradition, they even have this kind of reverse money-adding operation?
Lu Mingfei tried to joke, "Then... a few more Philosopher's Stones? Big ones?"

"Okay, I'll go and get someone to prepare right now."

To everyone's surprise, Aiton's expression turned quite serious upon hearing this, and he immediately took it seriously and got to work.

Lu Mingfei: "..."

As is widely known, the Philosopher's Stone is a pure, solidified spiritual element, the crystallization of the 'Fifth Element,' the most sacred thing in alchemy, a stone that is said to be able to turn all metals into gold, and also a medicine that can make people immortal. Most of the existing Philosopher's Stones are obtained from ancient tombs and the corpses of high-ranking pure-blooded dragons.

The last alchemist in history to actively and successfully create the Philosopher's Stone was Nicolas Flamel, who did so at 5 p.m. on April 25, 1382.
Last night, Lu Mingfei found the ritual method for refining the Philosopher's Stone in Nicholas Flamel's memory.

First of all, the threshold is naturally very high... but it is different from what you might imagine.

Pure spiritual elements do not arise from nothing.

In other words, refining the Philosopher's Stone is equivalent to alchemy, and the material consumed is one's own spiritual power.

'Original Spiritual Power' is essentially like a bucket of water; the more you pour out, the less you retain. After giving the Life Puppet 1200 units of Original Spiritual Power this morning, Lu Mingfei only had 13000 left, which cannot be recovered through sleep.

Forging the Philosopher's Stone is like having a highly talented person strip away their spirit and solidify it into an external object... It's really a case of buying the box and returning the pearl.

Therefore, Lu Mingfei believes that no one has been able to forge the Philosopher's Stone since Nicholas.
It's not that no one knows the techniques, but rather that the losses outweigh the gains.

……

A moment later, Butler Fox arrived with two securely stored boxes.

Inside were two red quartz crystals, with visible dark red, hair-like streaks inside, resembling congealed blood, totaling the size of an egg.

“It came from a second-generation species of the King of the Ocean and Water, measuring 11.8 meters in length and with an underwater speed exceeding 325 kilometers per hour. It died three centuries ago at the hands of the Göttingen family. The dragon’s name was Honduras, which means bottomless abyss in Spanish.”

Aiton proudly explained, "We deployed a colossal alchemical matrix in South America with a diameter exceeding two kilometers, which restricted the dragon's speed and ultimately led to its successful encirclement and destruction."

"Now, it belongs to you."

Lu Mingfei took the box, slightly stunned.

It seems the Kotinggen family was once quite wealthy.

“Of course, this is just a small token of my appreciation,” Aiton added.

"...Anything else?"

To be honest, Lu Mingfei was a little nervous.

As human history has progressed to this day, pure-blooded dragons have long been regarded as a treasure. They hide in the shadows and no longer easily reveal themselves to the world. Information about a single dragon can often cause a sensation around the world.

This Philosopher's Stone, the size of a pigeon's egg, is naturally one of the most precious treasures of that 'Honduras'... But to be honest, Lu Mingfei doesn't feel that he has suffered a great loss in this transaction. The value of the Path of the Fire Sword alone is already high enough, and the Göttingen family is well aware of this.

Such fawning made Lu Mingfei a little wary.

What do they want to do?
Aiton smiled and said, "If Mr. Lu has any requests at the next board meeting, please let us know in advance. We will do our best to support you. Although the Gao Tinggen family is not what it used to be, they still have some connections in the Secret Party."

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment before he realized... Oh, so Ayton was being so generous to him because he saw his potential and youth, and hoped to bring the Gottingen family to his side.

It's somewhat similar to an alliance, but it's a deep alliance.

However, normal deep alliances are usually formed through kinship ties, whether it is blood relations or master-disciple relationships... which are clearly not applicable to Lu Mingfei.

Alchemy goes without saying. Although Aiton is old, he doesn't have the face to propose taking Lu Mingfei as his apprentice... Charlotte taking Lu Mingfei as her apprentice would be even more outrageous, and the other way around wouldn't be appropriate either, as Lu Mingfei has no such intention.

A marriage alliance... Lu Mingfei felt it shouldn't go that far.

Other families are keen on alliances through marriage because large families can expand their branches and it doesn't matter if a few descendants marry out. But the Gottingen family is different. It seems that Charlotte is the only direct descendant and has already inherited the position of patriarch. They can't just marry off the patriarch to form an alliance...

Not to mention, Lu Mingfei brought three girlfriends with him this time, making it clear.

...So this was actually a good move after all, damn it!
With his mind racing, Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief and immediately nodded, saying, "Of course, let's keep in touch. If there's any news, we'll communicate in advance."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Lu."

Aiton smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, I heard Mr. Lu is planning to leave Europe today? Do you have any other plans?"

"Haha, it's alright, I was just planning to go out to sea with my friends."

"Oh, so it's a sea voyage..."

Aiton looked suddenly enlightened and winked happily at Charlotte.

Charlotte remained motionless, her hair hanging down.

Seeing this, Lu Mingfei asked with some curiosity, "What, Miss Charlotte, are you also planning to go out to sea recently?"

Charlotte said, "Okay."

Lu Mingfei was stunned:

"What?"

Charlotte finally raised her head, smoothed her hair, and stared at Lu Mingfei with a strange expression:
I said, "Okay, thank you for the invitation."

Lu Mingfei: "...?"

If we're not sisters, why are you thanking me?
When the hell did I invite you?!

……

After a while,
Return to the Göttingen family's castle, which was used to receive guests.

Seeing Lu Mingfei walking back step by step, clutching two boxes—one with "consultation fee" in his left hand and "friend's fee" in his right—

The three girls stood up from their seats.

"You're back... Hey, why do you look like that? Did something happen?" Su Xiaoqiang asked, puzzled. Lu Mingfei looked utterly dejected.
She took two more steps forward without answering, revealing the noblewoman following behind her—Charlotte, dressed in a white dress, like a medieval European princess.

"Hello," Charlotte greeted.

"Miss Charlotte?"

Su Xiaoqiang was completely bewildered, a huge question mark hovering above her head. "Did something go wrong with the treatment?"

Lu Mingfei tried to explain, "Uh... there is a mistake, but not the kind of mistake you're thinking of. It might be even more of a mistake than you think..."

"No, Mr. Lu Mingfei's technique is superb."

Charlotte gently shook her head. "My grandfather has fully recovered."

Su Xiaoqiang's eye twitched. "What happened?"

Zero, standing beside him, unconsciously frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He quietly took out his phone to send a message.

"I just heard that you guys chartered a yacht and plan to go out to sea for a while."

Charlotte stood still and politely said, "Since I've been staying in the family castle, I'd like to go out and explore. I hope you can take me with you."

"This... Lu Mingfei agreed?"

Su Xiaoqiang asked subconsciously, as she bore the primary diplomatic responsibility in this team.

"No, Lu Mingfei refused."

Charlotte smiled.

"?"

Upon hearing Charlotte's words, Ling Tou was also puzzled, and his movements froze on the spot.

Erii seemed to be the only one who hadn't reacted yet.

Lu Mingfei, standing to the side, was crestfallen. He naturally refused immediately. This aristocratic girl really thought she was a 'friend'? She was a 'girlfriend'! What business was it of his, an outsider?

But clearly, simply refusing didn't solve the problem. For the sake of the Philosopher's Stone... Charlotte managed to secure a chance for the minority to submit to the majority.

"But I'd like to ask for your opinion again."

Charlotte took a deep breath, trying her best to keep her expression calm.

"I wonder if I would be fortunate enough to become your friend and sail with you?"

Ugh, so embarrassing...

Charlotte couldn't help but cover her face inwardly. This suggestion was obviously too impolite. Logically speaking, she shouldn't have made such a request, let alone made a second request after Lu Mingfei refused.

"Forget it, it's all for Go Ting-geun's sake. What does personal face matter?"

But at the same time, another voice kept nagging in Charlotte's mind, like a wish, "Miss Su, please refuse, please refuse quickly, don't give me face at this time, I really don't want to go to sea with you..."

“Okay,” Su Xiaoqiang said.

"?"*2
Lu Mingfei and Xia Ludi suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at Su Xiaoqiang's smiling face.

What the hell?
"I have no objection either," Zero said, putting down his phone.

"Welcome, Charlotte-neechan." Erii held up her notebook.

Lu Mingfei remained silent for a few seconds, then looked as if he had seen a ghost and couldn't help but ask:

"No, why? Did Charlotte poison you?"

Charlotte: "..."

"No," Su Xiaoqiang chuckled and shook her head. "You'll find out when the time comes."

……

In the evening, the group arrived at the port of Porto.

"No! You call this a yacht?"

Lu Mingfei finally saw the enormous object docked at the shore... His previous impression of yachts was still from Hong Kong movies, those scenes of a group of villainous bosses with glamorous beauties sailing freely on the sea on a dark and stormy night, the total size of which was about the size of a basketball court.

But what is this strange thing in front of us, eight stories high, over a hundred meters long, with a helicopter on top?
"This is called a hotel-style superyacht, costing $3.2 million. It was designed and built by Swedish designer Tillberg. It's still a concept model at the moment, and a friend helped us with the rental."

Su Xiaoqiang said it casually, but her heart was anything but calm.

When they received the advice from the 'professionals' in the morning, their first reaction was that the 'barbecue-flavored potato chips' were a product promotion... But who knew that in the afternoon, this luxury hotel-style yacht, which still existed only in the concept, actually docked in the port of Porto.

All 149 cabins on board, with an average price of US$107 million, were emptied, and more than 100 crew members were replaced with 'professionals' to maintain only basic navigation needs and provide services.

In short, the potato chip shop owner lavishly... booked out the entire venue for the members of the gossip group!

As a benefit for group members.

"Fuck."

Lu Mingfei could only come up with this word.

Although he no longer needs to worry about money and can occasionally take a private jet, his lifestyle and consumption philosophy are still a long way from being truly 'old money'.

The difficulty in booking a cruise ship of this caliber lies not in the money, but in the channels available.

"So carbon emissions... are actually my problem?"

Lu Mingfei murmured to himself.

This generous spending style suddenly reminded him of an old friend…

But if it's a 'yacht' of this size, bringing Charlotte along is indeed fine.

It's okay to bring ten Charlottes.

It's actually more lively with more people.

Nuwa had already changed her clothes and been waiting for a long time. When she saw Charlotte Gottingen, she didn't react much, as she had received a prior notification in the group chat.
Charlotte, on the contrary, looked surprised. She hadn't expected that the Zhou family's Nuwa Master had been in Portugal all along. She immediately bowed with a solemn and dignified posture... So, she actually had four girlfriends?
Nuwa returned the greeting with a smile, inwardly acknowledging the judgment of Lu Mingfei and his comrades.

The little girl is really silly.

"We originally planned to take this ship for sightseeing on our way back home."

A fleeting golden light, like flower petals, flashed in Nuwa's eyes. Her skirt trailed behind her, her demeanor as graceful and dignified as an ancient empress.

"There are 25 rooms on the seventh and eighth floors. You can choose any of them without being disturbed."

"Ok, thank you."

Charlotte felt a chill run down her spine and quickly replied.

Such a strong bloodline...

Seeing the Nuwa clan for the first time, and their unique way of walking, I was secretly quite surprised.

Lu Mingfei's girlfriends are all quite unique.

"So, this Zhou family's Nuwa Master is... the empress?"

……

The Evrima slowly departed from the port of Porto and headed south into the sea.

The minimalist yet elegant design aesthetics, with every space striving to blend in with the marine environment, perfectly suit the aesthetic preferences of nannies.

From a business perspective, the Evrima differs from luxury cruise ships. Customers willing to pay for a unique style will not mind that it is more expensive than other similar sea travel options.

This voyage will follow the classic Eurasian route, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar in the south, then through the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and finally returning to the southeastern coastal region via the Indian Ocean.

The journey will pass through Malta, Barcelona, ​​Sri Lanka and other places.

As night fell, on the first deck,

Lu Mingfei had already changed into his swimming trunks, with beach shorts and a shirt over them. His well-defined muscles were faintly visible, sculpted and muscular, but not exaggerated.

The yacht had sailed far from the beach, and looking back at the coastline, only a faint line remained.

Our first stop was Viana Fort, located on the southern coast of Portugal, one of the world's best cod fishing grounds.

The potato chip shop owner used his "divine intervention" to plan the entire trip in advance, and specially arranged for a PADI Master Level certified diving expert to accompany him as a crew member.

You can catch the freshest cod by hand in this sea area, and then put it into a tank and bring it up to the surface. The chef will cook it while the fish is still alive, or you can eat it as fresh sashimi.

But it's clear the girls prefer to fish themselves in the sea...

puff-

White waves rippled across the sea.

A watery face emerged from the water. Su Xiaoqiang was wearing a swimsuit similar to a wetsuit, with sharkskin cuffs that covered her wrists and pant legs that covered her ankles. Except for her face, hands, and feet, the rest of her body was completely covered by the swimsuit, and she was even wearing a pair of diving goggles.

But Su Xiaoqiang is not actually good at swimming; she has only swum in a 1.2-meter pool before.

The only reason she dared to go into the water was because Nuwa was backing her up—in a physical sense.

puff-

Behind her, another round, watery face peeked out, with a pair of dark eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Unlike Su Xiaoqiang, Nuwa was not fully armed. Her body structure was different from that of normal humans. She only wore a light cloud-colored bodice to cover her vital parts, and her lower body was simply a snake tail that emitted patches of light.

Her fair, delicate arms lifted Su Xiaoqiang's entire body from the water from behind, a gesture that was both graceful and powerful.

Only then did they realize that Su Xiaoqiang couldn't float for a long time because she was tightly clutching a live fish in her hand.

"Mingfei! Look!"

Su Xiaoqiang's excited shouts echoed from afar, and Lu Mingfei couldn't help but laugh.

It's obvious that Su Xiaoqiang's rudimentary skills are no match for catching fish in the sea.

It was simply something Nuwa gave her after capturing her underwater. Nuwa's people are naturally connected to water, and if her predecessors could earn the title of Goddess of the Han River, Nuwa herself would certainly be no less capable, and even more agile than when moving on land.

Meanwhile, Erii and Zero were also fishing underwater. Under the moonlight and spotlights, Erii's skin was as smooth as ivory, and her slender and supple body was dressed in a red bikini swimsuit. Her long, dark red hair was spread out in the water.

Zero, dressed in a white bikini, moved her slender arms up and down, her petite body and platinum blonde hair almost blending into the waves.
Under the moonlight, two women, one in red and one in white, floated in the sea, their graceful figures resembling two swimming dragons.

Going to sea is great, I should go to sea more often… Lu Mingfei turned around happily and looked at the figure on the side of the deck:
"Miss Charlotte, since you've come all this way, why don't you try catching fish yourself?"

"...No."

At this moment, compared to Lu Mingfei and his group who had perfectly blended into the night seascape,

Charlotte sat on a beach chair on the deck, devoid of joy or sorrow, like an old woman who had seen through the vanities of the world.

He was actually holding a fishing rod in his hand!
Also provided by Evrima, this top-of-the-line fishing tackle, made of high-carbon fiber, can even handle small sharks.

"Ok."

Lu Mingfei asked casually, then continued to happily sip his iced cola and enjoy the night breeze blowing from the ocean.

"..."

Charlotte turned her head away, pulled her windproof coat tighter, and tried her best to cover her smooth, curled-up thighs, feeling a strange sense of shame.
I suddenly regretted acknowledging my grandfather's hint and insisting on coming on this sea trip.

This is utterly awkward and not fun at all! How can this possibly improve relationships?
Underneath the windproof jacket, there was naturally a swimsuit that accentuated her figure.

Charlotte, having received the strictest upbringing from Göttingen since childhood, was already used to wearing classic long dresses that could cover her ankles. After boarding the ship and choosing her room, she reluctantly changed into clothes that matched the atmosphere, but she was still completely unprepared to expose her body in front of others, even in places like the beach or a cruise ship.

It's like being forbidden from speaking a word to someone of the opposite sex for the first eighteen years of your life, only to be suddenly pressured to get married on your very first day as an adult...

Do you think that's ridiculous?

Of course, Charlotte never thought about marriage; she just felt a little envious watching her peers freely displaying their beautiful figures and playing happily on the water.

"Uh... but speaking of which, isn't it said that Asians generally have a more average build than Europeans?"

Charlotte, as if possessed, looked down and glanced inside her windproof jacket.

Then, he quickly looked up, alert.
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lu Mingfei was still gazing at the distant sea.

Thankfully, no one noticed my rude behavior.

……

The moon is bright tonight, and the stars are reflected in the sea.
The four girls had finally had enough fun in the sea and returned to the deck with their catch.

The group lit a bonfire and grill next to the infinity pool on the main deck. They cooked simpler dishes themselves, while more complex dishes were sent to the cabins where the most skilled chefs were stationed.

Soon, the softest bread, fine wine aged for a hundred years, and the freshest cod in all of Portugal will be gathered here, along with chicken wings. A barbecue without chicken wings is simply not a barbecue.

Portugal originated from piracy, and during the Victorian era, it roamed various seas. In addition to red wine, there was also classic rum and distilled spirits. They had replenished their food supplies on land beforehand, and were eating, drinking, and singing, having a great time. Charlotte was clearly still a bit reserved, but the others didn't pressure her.

After downing the last bottle of 50-proof distilled liquor, Su Xiaoqiang collapsed with a heroic air.

Next up is Erii, who still can't quite distinguish between high-proof alcohol and teenage juice.

Lu Mingfei carried them both back to their respective rooms, one on each shoulder, and thoughtfully locked the doors.

When I returned, the barbecue dinner was almost over.

Nuwa was not drunk; she drank very restrainedly. Zero was also very calm, probably recalling her days as a princess in Russia, where she could drink vodka like water.

Upon seeing Lu Mingfei return, the two exchanged a glance, wondering what wicked scheme they were plotting.

Charlotte would never get herself drunk.
Finally, everyone politely said goodbye on the eighth floor, where all the rooms they had chosen were located.

Better lighting and a higher view.

……

"call--"

Late at night, Charlotte didn't rush to sleep.

He took out two books from his small leather suitcase; these were alchemy notes he had brought from the family library.

Learning has no end, and reading a few pages before bed is a habit she has cultivated since childhood.

Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, or maybe he wanted to have fun but was too shy to let loose.

At this moment, Charlotte seemed to have a stubborn thought in her mind.

Those obscure and unfamiliar words couldn't get into her mind for a long time.

I opened the refrigerator, poured myself a glass of ice water, and drank it down. It finally calmed me down a lot.

But it's still far from generating a dragon-like resonance.

"Never mind, I'll just rest for the night."

After a moment of contemplation, I did not feel sleepy.

Charlotte simply stood up and went to her private terrace to enjoy the sea breeze.

Each suite on the Evrima features a private terrace, offering unobstructed ocean views from every room.

A gentle sea breeze caressed her face, and Charlotte closed her eyes contentedly.

I have to say, after seeing so many identical Göttingen estates, it's nice to get away for a while.

Lu Mingfei and his girlfriends are all very polite.

This is completely different from the flies I encountered when I was a young adult and traveling...

"Huh? What's that sound?"

Charlotte suddenly opened her eyes and tilted her head.

In the sea breeze at night, it seemed as if the sound of singing could be faintly heard.

She suddenly remembered the Sirens from Homer's epics, also known as mermaids in other mythologies, creatures that roamed the depths of ocean routes.
They have fish tails and beautiful, flower-like faces. They like to create warm illusions through their songs to lure sailors on voyages, and then eat them.

In Greek mythology, Odysseus encountered Sirens blocking his path. He chose to seal the sailors' ears with wax, tie them to the mast, and face the dangerous mermaids alone, ultimately overcoming their allure and killing them...

In the records of the Kottingen family,
Sirens are actually dangerous aquatic seraphim who like to appear in groups and can use sound waves to simulate the effects of incantations.

Charlotte's thoughts wandered aimlessly.

Speaking of which, the Nuwa Clan's Nuwa Master actually looks a lot like a mermaid, except one has a snake tail and the other a fish tail. Moreover, the Nuwa Clan's bloodline is very stable and powerful...

"No, this sounds like the voice of the Goddess Nuwa!"

Charlotte suddenly opened her eyes wide.

When boarding the ship at dusk, Charlotte was overwhelmed by the aura of the goddess Nuwa in her magnificent attire. During the barbecue that night, Charlotte also started calling her "Goddess Nuwa".

only……

Is Nuwa really singing? It sounds more like she's crying.

Charlotte's crystal-clear ear tips twitched, and she propped her chin up with one hand on the railing, lost in thought.

"Eh!!!!!"

A few seconds later, Charlotte's expression suddenly froze, and her face instantly turned bright red.

(End of this chapter)