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

Chapter 246 The Elders' Council: Elizabeth Laurent
An old man and a young boy walked out of the beach and climbed up the cliff.

Looking out over the hill of Potofino, you see a castle-like building where the annual board meeting is about to be held. Thanks to the growing influence of the Gattuso family, the meeting has been held here for decades.

"Sometimes, I actually hate them too."

Angers remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Didn't you ever think about just killing them all?" Lu Mingfei paused before asking.

"If the intelligence is correct, the vast majority of the board members are not outstanding in terms of martial prowess. Even the Gao Tinggen family, whose succession has been problematic, can be considered among the best. A few others can only be considered predators in a peaceful environment, responsible for collecting nutrients to support the dragon-slaying tree. But many people can actually do the work of collecting nutrients and maintaining order. The only difference is that they took that position in advance."

"Principal Angers, your position is equal to theirs, and you possess military power that they do not have. The lever that can influence the world economy cannot move you. You can completely replace everyone in all positions with your team."

Lu Mingfei's words undoubtedly point directly to the root of the problem.

If Angers had been more radical in the past, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths to form alliances now.

Angers, who has mastered the power of speed, is the best assassin, and if the time frame is extended to a hundred years, the deaths of a few school board members are not a big deal at all... Oh, no, that's not right.

Lu Mingfei suddenly raised his head, his expression strange.

It seems Angers wasn't entirely idle; for example, the Laurent family...

Elizabeth Laurent is one of the youngest board members. It is said that her biological parents died in a plane crash when she was young. Angers took good care of her and the two formed a firm alliance at the board meeting. Most of the time, Elizabeth unconditionally supported Angers.

"Ahem, Mingfei... I have a feeling you're thinking about something unfriendly."

Angers coughed and said, “I hate those old men of the Secret Service because I’m not one of them. You may not know this, but until the end of the last century, Kassel College was a military-style structure, completely different from what you see today. The students were cold, strict, and their nature was suppressed.”

"Because those old guys always confuse youthful restlessness with the danger of losing control, I've never really had anything in common with them on that issue."

A 130-year-old guy is talking about youthful passion and letting his nature run wild, as if he has no awareness that he is also a centenarian. In a way, it is not entirely unreasonable for him to become friends with the old cowboy.

"But that's never the point. From the very beginning, Kassel College has only had one enemy: to end the era of dragons. This includes those who want to destroy the existing social system. And those humans who call themselves the new dragons are the same. I want to destroy them. If I have the chance, I will definitely end them with a nuclear mushroom cloud. When the fire rains down from the sky, I will sit in the attic, light a cigar, and pour a glass of champagne to commemorate my old friends. That would fulfill the whole meaning of my life."

"It sounds like performance art," Lu Mingfei commented.

"But art is often difficult to achieve."

Angers said regretfully, "Sometimes I can't judge whether technology brings convenience or threat to humanity. At least in today's world of nuclear coercion, the idea of ​​taking away the dragons with nuclear bombs is too illogical. Not to mention how little we know about dragons, how many nuclear bombs would it take to kill a dragon king? What if the dragon king appears in an important location, such as New York, Paris, or Shanghai?"

“A global nuclear explosion would plunge the world into nuclear winter and cause mass extinctions. Perhaps this is what Ragnarok is all about. But such a victory would come at too high a price. I am an avenger, but there are still things I value and want to protect.”

"Including the old cowboy, although I don't know what happened between you and him, I guess he won't leave easily. He can no longer leave Kassel College. There are things he hasn't finished here."

Angers took a deep drag on his cigar and said, "Mingfei, you're the same way. Neither you nor I are enemies of order. The cost of overturning the table is too high. Isn't that precisely why you're willing to sit down and talk?"

Lu Mingfei glanced back towards the southeast, as if he could see Rome hundreds of kilometers away.

"Some tables need to be overturned when necessary. We can consider the rest after we've overturned them. We may not be willing to do it, but they may not be. Overthinking will only tie our hands."

“As for the rest… I can only say that the Board of Directors is not my enemy, at least not for now, but if we cannot resolve the issue peacefully, constantly backing down will only make things worse,” Lu Mingfei said softly.

"Yes, I'm glad you said that. That's enough. Let's give them a chance, it's also a chance for us."

Angers smiled calmly: "High-level hybrids are indeed not easy to kill, but they are not impossible to kill. Even if I have a Word of Power like Time Zero, if the times were to go back a hundred years, I might be more confident. But now, as I said, technology has developed too fast. In the 21st century, Time Zero is no faster than infrared guidance. I can't keep running, but the tactical missiles in the sky can keep flying."

“And you are young. It’s often said on the Night Watch forum that young people are more vulnerable than the elderly. I agree with that view. Few people know that Norma’s database contains a set of anti-assassination plans written specifically for me. The supercomputer simulates ‘Tianyan’ to exhaustively list feasible assassination schemes for my situation, and then designs countermeasures for each one.”

"The final outcome is not optimistic. Some solutions can be countered, but many more cannot. From a scientific point of view, I have hundreds or thousands of possibilities of death. As long as those people want me dead, the fact that I have been able to live freely until now is enough to prove that there is still a chance for everything to turn around. It is not yet time to completely tear off the mask. Relax, the advantage is in our hands."

Lu Mingfei cautioned, "But if the day comes when we have to tear off all pretenses, it would be a foolish decision to wait for the other side to make the first move."

“Of course, that’s why we’re here,” Angers said with a hearty laugh.

"Otherwise, at this time of year, I would usually travel all over the world to participate in events after finishing my work at the start of the school year. In my original schedule, there was a music performance at the Sydney Opera House the day before yesterday, and today there is a new market launch in Paris. I have canceled them all. I used to really like the Périgord black truffles at a restaurant there, and now it is in season. I will take you to try them after the event."

Lu Mingfei was speechless.

Is this another way of saying that favored people are always fearless?

It seems that Angers had already guessed some facts, so he kept provoking those people with his dashing and unrestrained style... Of course, it's also possible that his true nature was being revealed.

Lu Mingfei slowly exhaled, continuing to refine and solidify his plan for this trip in his mind.
The two continued walking down the mountain road.

The town of Portofino has entered a two-week rest period. From a distance, there are not many people, only a few local residents and children running around happily.

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn came from the other end of the mountain road.
A moment later, a silver-white sedan turned out.

The small golden statue on the front of the car symbolizes its high price, and Portofino is a pedestrian zone, where non-local vehicles need authorization to enter.

Angers raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly recognizing the Rolls-Royce's license plate. His smile instantly softened and became benevolent as he walked to the bulletproof window in the back seat.

Lu Mingfei followed.

The car window rolled down, and cool air from the air conditioner wafted out, revealing a young and beautiful woman sitting upright inside.

[Name: Elizabeth Laurent], [Age: 22/27], [Bloodline: A]... [Word of Power: Spirit of Strategies], [Tags: Heir to the Laurent family, Duchess Laurent, Queenly demeanor, Capital tycoon, Astute businesswoman, Suspected senile enthusiast, Board member of Kassel College...]

Elizabeth Laurent.

It was her... Lu Mingfei realized.

This illustrious surname and given name were mentioned not long ago; the Laurent family is a young financial tycoon who can manipulate the world's economic trends at will.

The first impression was, of course, that she was beautiful. Charlotte and Angers had both mentioned this before, and now that they had met, Lu Mingfei agreed with their assessment. Duchess Laurent was indeed 'beautiful'.

Her face was as exquisite as a sculpture by a famous Greek artist. She looked like a twenty-year-old, but had the eyes of someone in their thirties. She wore makeup typical of European noblewomen, a black veil, and an expensive fitted suit. Her cold face exuded a queenly aura that seemed to suffocate people.

You can tell just by looking into their eyes that Elizabeth and the elegant but naive Miss Charlotte are two very different types of women.

Lu Mingfei paid special attention to the fact that her Word of Power was 'Spirit of Planning', a Word of Power of intermediate sequence.

In the sequence of words of power, it is usually considered to be inferior to 'divine evolution'.

However, this does not mean that the 'Spirit of Calculation' is a weak Word Spirit. The strength of Word Spirits is not absolutely based on rank. Just like Moment and Time Zero, compared to the terrifying computing power provided by Evolution, the Spirit of Calculation focuses on enhancing memory and logical reasoning abilities, and has a smaller workload.

In other words, users of the Spirit of Calculation are natural managers. It is said that Elizabeth took over the Laurent family's business empire in just two years after her father's death, and she has a considerable understanding of potential allies and enemies.

"A shrewd businessman by nature."

Lu Mingfei glanced at the top of the woman's head, then subtly looked away.

"Hi! Lisa, my child, what a coincidence to meet you here!"

Angers took the bright red rose from his breast pocket, smiled, and handed it to him. "You've grown up a bit more. I still remember what you looked like in your school uniform when you were at Eton College."

“Unfortunately, Principal Angers, I’ve come to see you.”

Elizabeth accepted the roses, and her once icy, snow-white eyes visibly warmed.
“Oh, it seems something unexpected has happened,” Angers said with a smile. “But before we get down to business, I’d like to give you a proper introduction.”

"This is Lu Mingfei, eighteen years old, the spokesperson chosen by 'that one', a well-deserved S-class bloodline. I introduced him to you in the summer. I thought you were about the same age and would have a lot in common. Unfortunately, we were not lucky and you did not get to meet."

"This is Lisa, Elizabeth Laurent, 21 years old. Her family is one of the largest syndicates in Europe, mainly engaged in mining and finance. She is also one of the youngest school board members. The Laurent family is quite famous in the mixed-race world for producing beautiful offspring."

Angers smiled and introduced the two to each other, his tone teasing like that of an old father trying to match his child with his chosen partner.

"Hello, Mr. Lu Mingfei, I apologize that I was on a business trip to Australia at that time,"

A young woman stepped out of the car, and Angers used his hand to shield her from the top edge of the door. A gold high heel lightly touched the ground, revealing her long, slender legs with breathtaking beauty.

Elizabeth was a shrewd businesswoman by nature, and of course she would not be impolite; she took the initiative to extend her hand.

" Charlotte mentioned you to me later, praising you as a very outstanding boy."

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment as he looked at Elizabeth's slender, white hand, then extended his own right hand to grasp it. The two touched briefly and then parted, displaying great politeness. "Please thank her for me, Ms. Elizabeth. Charlotte is also very lovely."

In truth, Lu Mingfei didn't believe Charlotte would praise him. A few days later on the Evrima, he realized something was wrong, and he could only say that the fact that she didn't call the police on the spot was already a big favor to him.

Elizabeth's gaze swept over Lu Mingfei's face.

Out of respect for his status and to maintain a proper demeanor, Lu Mingfei wore a pure white evening suit this time, with a violet silk handkerchief tucked into his jacket pocket. His meticulously styled black hair and flamboyant, mysterious look even bordered on 'slutty'.
In addition, the gentle features unique to East Asians, and the 'petal-like softness' often mentioned in the Night Watch forums,
This look should be very appealing to girls, especially mature girls like Elizabeth who exude a queenly aura. It should easily evoke their maternal instincts and protective desires.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth merely glanced at his face before turning to Angers without a second glance: "Let's get down to business, Principal Angers."

"We just received news that the elders also intend to attend this routine board meeting."

"You mean the Council of Elders?" Angers asked, somewhat surprised.

“That’s right, all four elder families are participating. I notified everyone by email this morning, but I figured you don’t usually check emails, so I came to find you specifically,” Elizabeth said calmly.

Angers' brows immediately furrowed visibly.

The Cadmus family, the St. George family, the Sigurd family, and the Beowulf family.

The four renowned old families in the mixed-race world, like the orthodox Zhou family, have surnames that have been passed down from the mythical era to the present day, and they are not martial arts alliance leaders.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the world of mixed-race people in the West was always ruled by them.

Until the Industrial Revolution changed the world's landscape, steamships traversed the seven seas, and some emerging mixed-race families quickly rose to prominence and gained control of the Secret Society's discourse.

Then, in the early 20th century, Kassel College was established, and representatives of the new family formed the board of trustees, honoring the representatives of the old family as elders.

However, the four families viewed this 'honorary title' as nothing short of an insult, so the old families refused to participate in any school management. To this day, most teachers and students in Kassel have even forgotten that the Secret Service had an elders' council.

"How could this happen so suddenly? Have these old guys finally realized that face is worthless and that power is everything?"

Angers certainly hadn't forgotten this group of people. Although he hadn't visited these old families for decades, he still sent them a Christmas card and a box of black tea every year, as if he were doing charity work.

"Perhaps. The reason given in the email was to express dissatisfaction with the Orthodox Party's rampant expansion and the decline of the Secret Party's influence, and to plan to eavesdrop on this routine board meeting as a senior member," Elizabeth said.

Angers glanced at Lu Mingfei, who shrugged.

Everyone knows that the Secret Party held a special meeting at the beginning of the year to address the issue of orthodoxy.

Normally, routine meetings are mostly just for drinking tea or going on trips. Only impromptu meetings indicate that something important has happened, and the elders are just using it as an excuse.

However, given the elders' 'status in the martial arts world,' they could indeed come uninvited if they were willing to swallow their pride.

“I thought Principal Angers would value this news, so I’m telling you in advance.”

Elizabeth said nonchalantly, "After all, the regular board of directors has seven seats. If the council of elders wants to get involved, they can have decision-making power. Even if they can't fully represent all four seats, at least you can't have absolute power anymore. I think you have a plan this time, right?"

"Lisa, what are you saying?"

Angers gave an awkward smile. "What do you mean by 'rule of power'? I've never been a dictator."

Elizabeth glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

Lu Mingfei, who was standing to the side, understood what he was saying.

According to the regulations established when the college was founded, regular proposals only require the approval of more than half of the board members to pass a vote. Angers himself is one of the board members, and Elizabeth, the representative of the Laurent family, will support him along with Charlotte, the representative of the Göttingen family. In addition, Su Enxi never attended the board meetings before, and her voting rights were exercised by Angers on her behalf. The old man has a total of four votes, and the board meeting is almost equivalent to his one-man show.

Even someone as high-profile as Frost couldn't beat him.

The resolution to be voted on at this meeting is related to a particular board member. Such important resolutions require an absolute majority vote – meaning that they must be passed by six or more board members.

"But that does sound a bit troublesome... Have the old guys arrived yet?"

Angers scratched his head.

"The Frost Board of Trustees has already arranged for them to stay at the Splendid Hotel. It's a bit of a distance from here, but if you don't mind, I can give you a ride."

Elizabeth glanced around discreetly.

The three of them standing at the entrance to Portofino attracted a lot of attention. Although the tourist destination had been semi-closed since last week, local residents were well aware of the special nature of this time of year.
However, Elizabeth's queen-like attire and demeanor, combined with the handsome grandfather and grandson-like men standing there, easily made her the center of attention.

Both the Laurent family and Angers are leaders in the shadows, and their identities are best kept secret.

“Then it seems I’ll have to go and meet them first,” Angers sighed.

The driver, dressed in a black suit, meticulously opened the Rolls-Royce door for his guest. Angers, however, didn't rush to get in; instead, he pulled Lu Mingfei aside.
"What do you mean?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled.

"what do you think?"

"...How about what?"

"Hey, I was talking about Lisa, what do you think of her?"

"She looks human, and she's quite pretty... but could you please stop rubbing your hands like flies? It's a bit creepy."

"Huh? Is this called rubbing hands like a fly? Well, that's quite a vivid description."

Angers paused, then stopped what he was doing. "But I need to go to the hotel to meet some old friends first."

"What do you mean? You're not going to ride in her car anymore?" Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’ll go sound her out first. You’re in charge of Lisa. We’ve already given her some details of our plan; you’re responsible for finalizing things,” Angers said.

"I think she might be a better fit for you to handle."

Lu Mingfei said tactfully, but in his heart anyone with eyes could see Elizabeth's... direct gaze towards Angers.

This version is not suitable for young people.

“Give me some time first. I’m mainly worried that if I take you to meet those old men, you might start a fight at the drop of a hat. Girls are different, you should at least think of Charlotte…” Angers said in a low voice.

"What the hell are you talking about? We're here to do serious business, don't you dare try to play matchmaker!"

Lu Mingfei's face instantly turned green.

He understood what Angers meant, but if he remembered correctly, when Elizabeth mentioned Charlotte just now, her eyes clearly showed the same look as Angers's... What abstract matchmaker segment?

Angers, believing himself to be Elizabeth's parent, wanted to matchmake Lu Mingfei and Lisa.
Elizabeth sees herself as Charlotte's parent and also wants to bring Lu Mingfei and Charlotte together.
Although she is indeed a mother-aged girl...

But brothers and sisters, this is an important meeting that will determine the fate of human hybrids, can't we just not do this?
"Ahem, anyway, you've won her over. At least she's very beautiful, isn't she? To use universally accepted language, that means you can save at least thirty years of hard work... no, three hundred years, along with your father-in-law from the Su family."

Angers said in a very serious tone,
"Don't forget, the Laurent family's core asset is mining, and they're going global."

Lu Mingfei: "...Do you want to hear what you're saying?"

……

Angers has disappeared.

To create an environment where the two young people could be alone, he even used a spell, disappearing from the spot like a broken frame.

This was the first time Lu Mingfei had ever witnessed the assassin's incantation 'Time Zero'... He didn't seem to be greatly affected?

But Angers was quite fast; in a few swift movements, they ran towards the distant town of Portofino.
Elizabeth and the driver remained completely unresponsive until Lu Mingfei experienced a brief, fast-forwarded moment of disorientation before his eyes, followed by a video freeze.

Everything around them returned to normal.

"..."

Damn it, that old guy!
(End of this chapter)