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

Chapter 223 Nuwa Zero and Charlotte Who Ran Away

Half an hour ago, on the eighth deck of the Evrima yacht,
Lu Mingfei habitually checked to make sure he hadn't gone to the wrong room, then locked the door and went to brush his teeth and take a shower.

Even though the yacht was in the open sea with low pollution levels, the salty, fishy, ​​and barbecue seasoning flavors mixed together were quite intoxicating.

Lu Mingfei didn't drink too much.

Drinking and eating barbecue is supposed to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. A light buzz is fine; there's no need to drink to excess, which is just torturing yourself.

After a hot shower, I felt refreshed and fragrant again. The warmth swirling within me made me too lazy to even blow-dry my hair.

Lu Mingfei decisively threw himself onto the bed, intending to get a good night's sleep.
There was a knock at the door.

"Who?"

Lu Mingfei pulled his head out of the pillow, puzzled.

"It's us."

A very faint female voice came from outside, a rustling sound accompanied by the sound of movement.

"us……?"

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped out of bed.

Click——

Remove the lock and turn the screw to open the door.

Under the warm, dim light of the corridor at night, two fair and rosy faces were reflected.

She wore a long, thin, gauze nightgown, underneath which was a tube top covering her vital parts. It was similar to an evening swimsuit, except that it was pale yellow. Beneath the hem, she revealed a serpentine, scale-covered, curved limb.

The other woman wore a white cotton slip dress with two thin, transparent straps hanging from her slender, snow-white shoulders. The hem of the dress was much shorter than the first woman's, only about one-third of the way down.

They were all short; when they stood up straight, they only reached Lu Mingfei's neck.

"Nuwa, Ling, what are you two doing here?"

Lu Mingfei lowered his head slightly, meeting the gaze of two pairs of dark, ice-blue, watery eyes.

Dry, warm air blew out from the ventilation vents in the corridor, and he inexplicably swallowed.

Nuwa didn't speak, but looked at Lu Mingfei with a meaningful yet smiling gaze. She had just taken a bath, and her body exuded a fragrance. Her smooth, satin-like black hair was half-damp and draped at her sides, giving her a serene and peaceful appearance.

But the snake's tail beneath her twisted unintentionally, likely betraying that her inner peace was not as serene as it appeared.

Ling stood beside Nuwa, having just finished bathing as well. Unlike ordinary girls, Ling's baths were never long; she bathed very quickly, even faster than Lu Mingfei, and she even had time to completely dry her long, platinum blonde hair.

Just at this moment,

On that almost unchanging, icy face, a rare expression of shyness or embarrassment appeared.

The corridor remained quiet.

Neither Nuwa nor Zero answered Lu Mingfei's question.
Their bodies swayed slightly as they touched, as if reminding each other to speak first.

"Uh, can't you two sleep? ...Why don't you come in and sit down?" Lu Mingfei said dryly.

After saying that, he voluntarily stepped aside to let people in.

Nuwa and Zero remained silent, but their bodies filed into the room.

Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief and, like a thief, peeked out into the corridor, glancing left and right.

Close the door again and lock it.

……

The Evrima yacht has eight decks, each with a large interior area of ​​nearly 100 square meters, and each cabin is separated from the others by a 20-square-meter deck terrace, which is a balcony.

"Aren't you hot? Should I open the window..."

Lu Mingfei casually opened the door leading to the deck terrace and poured a glass of ice water for both Nuwa and Ling.

The sea breeze blew in at night, and the indoor temperature dropped sharply.

Ling took a sip of the iced water, and her complexion did indeed improve significantly.

After a moment of silence, she finally revealed the purpose of her visit: "We wanted to ask about the data you recently provided for Su Xiaoqiang and Erii on the bio-alchemy level."

"what?"

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, then quickly explained, "That's true, but I was planning to help them solve their physical problems."

"As you all know, Erii's bloodline has always been unstable due to the erosion of her body by the blood of an unknown dragon; and Little Fairy is an ordinary person, she has always wanted to see the scenery of the world of hybrids, so I've been thinking recently about whether I can solve their problems all at once..."

Nuwa and Zero listened quietly.

"You're solving Xiaoqiang and Erii's physical problems, right?"

Nuwa suddenly asked, "Do you think there's anything wrong with my body or Zero's?"

"you two?"

Lu Mingfei was taken aback. He quickly brought up the panel again and scanned the data and status of Nuwa and Zero... The two combat-type S-class hybrids had combat power exceeding 1,000 and everything was normal.

"It should be alright...?" Lu Mingfei asked hesitantly.

"hehe."

Nuwa rolled her eyes softly.
After drinking a few sips of ice water, she gradually calmed down and immediately raised her chin.
"How do you know we're healthy if you haven't even had a checkup?"

"..."

What Lu Mingfei actually wanted to say was that he had many ways to determine if there was anything wrong with your bodies...

Eh, that’s not right!

Lu Mingfei suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he understood why Zero and Nuwa had suddenly come to knock on his door.

Could it be that……

At this moment, Zero also organized his thoughts and carefully said:
"You have a great talent for alchemy. If possible, I would like to ask you to design a set of alchemical equipment for me based on my specific physical condition, so that I can be more effective in battle in the future..."

"Oh, I see. I thought..."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head awkwardly, then paused, staring intently at Nuwa.

"Wait a minute, I remember the Zhou family designed special armor for you, right? So you're here to...?"

"...Hmph! Fine, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Let's just tell you the truth!"

Nuwa's eyelids twitched involuntarily, and her eyes narrowed into a dangerous arc.

"I've studied a little alchemy, so I'm a bit skeptical of your method. Xiaoqiang can do whatever she wants, but you're going too far by targeting Erii right now. Zero and I can't stand by and watch!"

"This is a matter of principle!"

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"

I was a little bewildered and confused by Nuwa's sudden tough attitude. Why did I make a move on Erii... well, it can barely be considered a 'move'.

Zero also fell silent; it seemed that Nuwa's lines had been altered from the planned ones.

"So you mean...?" Lu Mingfei asked tentatively.

Nuwa said arrogantly, "What do I mean?"

"Hmph, in short, Zero and I aren't unreasonable people. Now we're giving you a chance to prove yourself!"

"There's no better time than today."

"Let me test whether you really have any skills!"

……

The next morning, Lu Mingfei walked out of his room feeling refreshed.

I plan to enjoy the sunrise over the sea.

When he arrived at the open-air observation deck on the top deck, he was surprised to find that someone had arrived even earlier than him.

—Charlotte Göttingen.

The noblewoman leaned against the railing, her long, pale golden hair held back with a hair clip. Her slightly chubby face, bathed in the orange glow of the sunrise, was as exquisite as a porcelain doll crafted by a master artist…

From the side, the porcelain doll's surface looks like it has a little dust on it.

Good morning, Miss Charlotte.

Lu Mingfei walked over and greeted her, "Didn't you sleep well last night? You don't look well."

Good morning, Mr. Lu. Thank you for your concern. I slept very well last night.

Charlotte took a deep breath and revealed a smile that looked fine from any angle, but made Lu Mingfei feel inexplicably guilty.

"Haha, that's good, that's good... Have you had breakfast? Want to grab some together?"

“No need, I just went to the restaurant to try today’s Tasting Menu before I came,” Charlotte said.

"It's German food, served with wine."

"Oh, you even went to a restaurant. Looks like you got up really early... That shows you have good and healthy lifestyle habits. I admire you."

Lu Mingfei racked his brains and finally came up with a passable compliment. "Hehe."

Charlotte gave a forced smile and retorted, "Then you're healthier."

Lu Mingfei remained silent for a moment, wondering if it was just his imagination.

He always felt that Charlotte's voice carried a hint of 'melancholy', and from this angle, her dark circles were even more noticeable, as if there were tears glistening in them, like she was yawning.

"...I'm going to eat."

Lu Mingfei decisively retreated to the vicinity of the terrace table and began to eat voraciously.

Not a moment later.

The goddess Nuwa, who had been intensely cosplaying the Siren last night, also woke up. Her waist, wrapped in a gorgeous long dress, swayed as she walked to the top floor and stared straight at Lu Mingfei.

Seeing Lu Mingfei awkwardly turn his head away,
She suddenly smiled, her serpentine body swaying gracefully as she sat down at the dining table. Her delicate white hands picked up a fork, poked a bird's egg, and put it into her cherry-like mouth. As she chewed gently, her tail silently wrapped around Lu Mingfei's leg. "Mingfei."

"There's someone nearby..."

Lu Mingfei froze abruptly, feeling the strange sensation of the snake coiling around his body.
The data collection process from last night involuntarily came to mind.

It is indeed necessary to test Nuwa and the others.

Just as Zero reminded him, with Lu Mingfei's current alchemy skills, it is not difficult to tailor-make alchemical equipment for the girls. In the battlefield of the mixed-blood world, in addition to bloodline and words of power, the most crucial factor in determining victory or defeat is alchemical tools. Having powerful alchemical equipment can often establish a huge advantage.

Just like the Gottingen family, known as the 'Flower of Highgarden,' the heads of the family have been immersed in the study of alchemy, keeping their distance from other families and rarely participating in the political infighting of the Secret Party. In order to avoid being coveted by outsiders when the family is in a low period, the ancestors made a large number of alchemical armors with the function of 'bloodline certification'.

Unlike the 'knights' of the Solomon Temple who wear medieval armor out of custom, the Gottingen family's 'armor' is a true alchemical artifact. Once charged, it can unleash tremendous power. Combined with the Gottingen family's 'Star Antimony,' it can grant B-rank hybrids with the family bloodline the strength of A-rank hybrids at crucial moments. And when an A-rank hybrid wears it, they are almost invincible among their peers... Under certain conditions, it can also form an array.

This was the real trump card of the Göttingen faction, and the biggest contributor to the killing of 'Honduras' back then.

Therefore, Lu Mingfei accepted Ling and Nuwa's proposal.

Have them change their clothes and lie down on the bed.

This was, in fact, the first time Lu Mingfei had ever gotten so close to observe and touch Nuwa's scales.

Unlike snake tails in the conventional sense, snakes in nature are cold-blooded animals and inherently possess a sense of fear associated with cold, dampness, and sluggishness. However, the Nuwa clan is essentially human and is a warm-blooded animal. The scales on the snake tail, which are damp and slippery, transform from cold and damp to warm and sluggish, giving people a completely different feeling.

Measuring such unconventional humanoid bio-alchemy data was a considerable challenge for Lu Mingfei.

It's hard to tell where the bone is and where the flesh is; all we know is that even the hardest scales will soften.

At this moment, not far from the deck,

The noblewoman still leaned against the railing, gazing at the sunrise where the sky met the sea, the sea breeze ruffling her pale golden hair.

Nuwa glanced at Charlotte, then playfully poked Lu Mingfei's thigh with the tip of her nimble tail.

Only then did he withdraw, satisfied.

"Hmph! You've got some skills, kid, but now you know I'm not someone to be trifled with!"

Lu Mingfei had nothing to say.

As expected, compared to the Little Celestial Maiden, Nuwa's words were much more forceful.

……

After eating a quick bite, Nuwa went back to her room to catch up on her sleep.
A few minutes later, Charlotte walked over with an unchanged expression and said softly, "Mr. Lu."

"Miss Charlotte."

Lu Mingfei picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, his gaze somewhat embarrassed. After all, he had just been whispering to Nuwa almost right under the nose of this noble young lady... He didn't know if she had overheard him.

“This route will pass through the Mediterranean, right? I’d like to disembark in Egypt before then,” Charlotte said softly.

“Egypt?” Lu Mingfei was taken aback.

In fact, from the very beginning, Lu Mingfei never intended for Charlotte to come along on the sea trip... and that was indeed the case.

Yesterday, Lu Mingfei and the four girls went fishing in the sea and played happily in the pool. Only Charlotte remained dressed in a windproof jacket, sitting listlessly on a beach chair, looking out of place like an outsider.

The barbecue over the campfire that night wasn't very enjoyable. Luckily, Su Xiaoqiang was very understanding and took care of her the whole time; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have even dared to pick up the skewers.

But since we've already come, why would we suddenly leave on the first day?

"Damn, could it really be..." Lu Mingfei suppressed the change in his expression, his gaze sincere.

"Why so sudden?"

"Do not misunderstand."

Charlotte shook her head and said, "It's for other reasons."

Lu Mingfei was completely embarrassed.

...I haven't even told you the reason yet!

"Then, what is the reason?" Lu Mingfei tried to save face.

Charlotte explained, "I need to help Laurent with some business matters, which are also related to the Gottingen family."

"Elizabeth Laurent?"

“That’s right. Duchess Laurent is currently on an investment visit in Australia and can’t get away. There’s a press conference in Egypt next week for a company that Gottingen and the Laurent family have jointly invested in, and I should attend it in her place.”

Charlotte, sporting dark circles under her eyes, spoke in a flat tone.
"I see."

Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief. As for the business matters... that's fine now.

"It seems your two families have a really good relationship? Is the joint investment related to alchemical products?"

"……Um."

Charlotte responded, "Since Mr. Lu is a member of the Board of Trustees, it won't hurt to introduce you. Among the seven board member families, the Laurent family is second only to the Gattuso family in terms of wealth... Of course, it may also be second only to the power behind you, that mysterious board member who used to only be responsible for investments and never exercised any power."

Lu Mingfei didn't respond. It was only natural that Charlotte could guess the source of his seat.

To be honest, he didn't really know how much money Chip Girl's foundation had. After all, in this world, when money reaches a certain number of digits, having a few more or fewer zeros doesn't have a big impact.

It simply comes down to the areas each other is involved in.

"The Laurent family also deals in alchemical products?" Lu Mingfei changed the subject.

Charlotte nodded and said, "There's almost no business that Laurent doesn't do, including alchemical items. Although they mainly deal with low-end products, their sales reach is global. In the past, their main business was the whole of Europe and half of North America, but recently, because of... the decision of the Nuwa Master, they are expanding their business in Australia."

On the surface, the Laurent family is a well-known 'syndicate' in Europe, which is a monopolistic organization formed by a series of large companies signing unified procurement and distribution agreements.

But the truth is actually a bit more exaggerated. Most of the business giants that form syndicates in Europe are puppets put forward by the Laurent family to reduce their perceived threat from the outside world.

Charlotte's use of the word "low-end" is naturally different from the common understanding of "low-end".

"Okay, best of luck in advance," Lu Mingfei said, scratching his head.

"Thank you," Charlotte said politely. "I'll go back to my room now."

The sunrise was over, and the temperature on the deck was gradually rising.
She prepared to return to her cabin and catch up on some sleep.

"Oh, right."

Just then, Lu Mingfei's voice came from behind.
"Um, if you find the eighth floor a bit noisy, you can change rooms."

"..."

Charlotte's long, pale golden hair trembled, and she almost tripped on the ground.

……

In fact, Lu Mingfei was right.

Charlotte planned to run away for 'that reason'.

The meeting in Egypt was not something she absolutely had to attend in person; she could have delegated it to someone from her family.

God knows how much of an impact hearing the sirens sing last night had on her young mind.

And just now, Nuwa came to the top floor,

The action of wrapping her tail around Lu Mingfei's leg was just what she could see from the angle she was standing at.

...At that moment, Charlotte really wanted to practice free diving on the spot.

Charlotte had previously felt that the Zhou family's Nuwa Master had many similarities to herself.

Whether it's her status, her demeanor, or even that little bit of baby fat on her face,
And I also greatly admire the courage and decisiveness demonstrated by this 'senior' in all his decisions.

Who knows... Oh well.

However, as a truly outstanding nobleman,
If there are no problems with the room, Charlotte would naturally not easily ask to change it, otherwise it would cause great trouble to others.

But in the following nights, Charlotte would always find reasons to convince herself to stay up late, opening the doors and windows of the balcony and letting the slightly chilly wind blow in.

While engrossed in reading his alchemy notes, he listened to the faint sounds of different voices carried on the sea breeze... all the while awkwardly digging his toes into the ground.

Sometimes there's one, sometimes there are two, but thankfully there are also times when there are none.

"What kind of play is this...?"

Charlotte touched her red and hot forehead and realized that she was probably sick.

(End of this chapter)