Life is tough, so Honglong resorts to performing?

Chapter 126 Arrangement
"You want me to make decisions again? I'm a baby red dragon, not Doraemon, living in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, where I can always pull out some gadgets to solve problems..."

Facing old Aaron's expectant gaze, Loren, though inwardly complaining, still got up and used his magic to glide downwards.

Old Aaron smiled at the sight, his body also changing as he followed Loren and flew downwards.

As they approached the ground, Loren folded his wings and used magic to provide lift, making the descent smooth enough to prevent the group of men in black below from being blown to pieces.

The red dragon's golden eyes swept lightly over the group of black-clad men of varying heights and builds, all of whom were completely covered up, with only their eyes showing.

From their eyes and their trembling legs, Loren saw the raw fear that normal humans felt when they first came close to seeing the true form of a dragon.

If their viscount hadn't been standing in front of them, looking completely at ease, they probably would have collapsed to the ground or scattered in all directions.
"Take off those coats and let me see what you look like."

The red dragon spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

The group looked left and right, then turned their gazes to Evans, awaiting his orders.

They were truly terrified. If their concealed appearance frightened the red dragon before them, wouldn't they, along with their viscount, be reduced to ashes by the dragon's breath?
After all, they had just arrived and hadn't yet applied clown makeup. If those deformed and ugly mutated parts were exposed, it would probably only invite disgust...

“Just listen to him. Mr. Spark isn’t the kind of dragon who judges people by their appearance.”

Old Aaron followed Loren and arrived, speaking with a slightly teasing tone.

"Listen to Lord Aaron and Mr. Spark, take off your outer robes."

After thinking for a moment, Evans also made a decision.

"Don't rush, let's put some heat-preserving magic on them first. It's getting autumnal, and we don't want them to catch a cold."

As Loren emerged from the arena, he noticed the temperature difference between inside and outside. As a red dragon, Loren didn't like the cold, but it would be too abstract to just hang two fires around himself for warmth all the time. So he decided to find a reason to be courteous to the weak. Well, that's probably not the proper way to use the term, but whatever, he's a Western dragon now! He'd activate his Adaptive Trait.

This level of Chinese is already far ahead of all other Chinese people!

As Loren cast his spell, a jumble of thoughts flashed through his mind. Clearly, not getting enough rest had a slight impact on the spirit of this rapidly growing red dragon.

The temperature rose, and although the red dragon still felt a bit cool, the people around him, especially the deformed clown actors who needed to take off their coats to cover themselves, felt warm enough.

It's not just physical, but also psychological.

Such simple, unpretentious, yet meticulous care as that shown by the red dragon is rare, even uncommon, in their lives. People usually focus on their deformed and incomplete bodies, offering concern tinged with pity and curiosity, but not like the dragon before them…

But this also made them slow to take off the coats that covered their entire bodies.

They were afraid, afraid that the dragon before them would show surprise and the same expression of pity as everyone else after they revealed their true form.

"Just relax..."

Old Aaron spoke up at the right moment, saying that given the red dragon brat's mage level, he didn't believe that he hadn't worked part-time in laboratories all over the place, seen the world, and been a guinea pig.

Then, one by one, the black robes covering their entire bodies were removed, revealing the bodies beneath that were different from ordinary people.

Of the ten clown performers, two had a major deformity where one arm had shrunk into a tentacle-like shape, three had an extra arm that resembled an arthropod, some had two mouths and three eyes on their faces, and some had an extra leg. The one with the least deformity was probably an atavistic individual, covered in hair, with a skull and facial features that differed from those of ordinary people, and a furry tail on his back.

"Everything is fine. The Federation's efforts over the years have not been in vain."

Loren glanced at them briefly and found that these mutants were much better than those he had seen when he was researching.

Back then, all the mutants had god-like looks, the kind that would make you lose sanity just looking at them.

If these guys in front of me didn't say they were mutants, they wouldn't be much different from people with disabilities.

If we had to pinpoint a difference, it would be that individuals with acquired disabilities don't need to dispel the curse from the artifact when using healing spells and divine magic, making treatment much cheaper and increasing the chances of recovery...

Because of the existence of priests and spellcasters, the world of Elron is more advanced than the previous world in terms of treating severed limbs. Therefore, subsidies for disabled people are basically only given to those who are born with congenital problems that are difficult to treat, such as dragons and dragon beasts...

"I'd like to ask, what kind of character roles do you want? Think it through before you answer. It's not about what others want to see, but what you want to see."

Loren glanced around and asked softly.

The group looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Was this the role they wanted? Was it okay?
Although Little Red Dragon knew that all he needed to do was appear on camera with this group of people, perform together, and show his kindness and care for the vulnerable, a significant portion of those attacking him on the Magic Crystal Network would be rendered speechless by this politically correct attack.

I can't expect him to turn from hater to fan, but at least I should be able to stop criticizing him publicly.

In addition, his original supporters were a group of young people who were just looking for fun. Once they actually got this banner, they rose to power and turned the tables, so it was inevitable that there would be all sorts of pursuit and reckoning.

In his previous life, Loren had seen plenty of this kind of entertainment on various forums, and he knew exactly what was going on.

Furthermore, with the Cuiye City cultural and tourism department on their side, and at least the local area supporting them, the battle to turn their reputation around within Cuiye City alone should be considered won. Everything that should have been achieved is now in place, and everyone is happy and content.

The matter can just be left as it is, a little performance can easily resolve it, isn't that better?
But looking at the expectant eyes of this group of people, Loren still had a headache.

I always feel that if I don't do anything productive, I'll be looked down upon and underestimated.

This feels a bit like Doraemon facing Nobita...

Okay, this one will do...

The red dragon thought for a moment, then began to tell a story.

"Once upon a time, in the far east, there were two writers who were very close friends. One was named 'The Legacy of Splendor,' and the other was named 'Life as Strong as Iron'..."

Loren embellished the story, beginning to recount the friendship between Yu Hua and Tiesheng. This included the famous incident of having Tiesheng, a disabled person in a wheelchair, guard the goal. To make the story complete, Loren even gave the group a brief introduction to football and its basic rules.

The reason Loren specifically told this story was quite simple: just to emphasize the last sentence.
“He didn’t treat me like a disabled person, and of course, he didn’t really treat me like a human being either.”

Having lived two lives, Loren could roughly sense that in the Federation society, the core problem for the deformed was not entirely their physical deformities, but rather the pitying or disgusted looks they received because of these deformities.

They always lived cautiously, especially those who chose to venture out to make a living instead of staying in Twilight City and collecting federal disability benefits. They came out to prove they were the same as others, but reality told them they were different. Loren's story was told rather briefly, some parts even a bit dry and uninteresting, after all, he had made it up early in the morning without a draft, and it was somewhat arbitrary.

But everyone present understood.

Old Aaron's gaze towards Little Red Dragon has changed somewhat.

Treating everyone equally, regardless of whether they are disabled or deformed, shows you understand the principles of nature and have the potential to be a druid!

Although Aaron felt that the premise of Little Red Dragon's impartiality was that he was in a high position and treated those below equally.

In short, everyone below me is equal, and no one above me is above me...

In a sense, it's a manifestation of the red dragon's arrogant nature...

After listening, Evans frowned and looked at the people behind him, feeling ashamed.

As the city's viscount, he had never noticed this spiritual pursuit. If Mr. Spark hadn't specifically reminded him today and even made up a story to remind him, when would he have ever realized this?

When he was trying to get his own druids out of the Aberrants in Twilight City, he deliberately separated the Aberrants out!
Can someone like me be considered to be pursuing the principles of nature?
Evans understood.

He felt that the career bottleneck that had been holding him back for quite some time was beginning to loosen. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could finally become a formal druid, and it was even possible that he would eventually reach the third or fourth tier.

After all, he was not lacking in resources; what held him back was his mental block and pain.

A story and a few words from Honglong today are invaluable to him, paving the way and illuminating his future career path.

"Thank you for your words. Your insightful views have illuminated my path forward. From now on, I would give you my life if you ever need me."

Evans knelt solemnly, performing a nobleman's ceremony of allegiance.

Loren was puzzled by this, but he accepted it nonetheless.

It seems the other party learned something from their story and gained some benefit.

I'm so awesome! I can enlighten people with just a few words. I'm really amazing!

Loren became somewhat smug as Evans bowed to him, while old Aaron, seeing this scene, was both amused and exasperated.

He had just thought that Little Red Dragon had a bit of the air of a literary master, and that his writing was as elegant as a dragon!

But looking back now, it seems a bit childish, considering he's only twenty this year.

Although his physique has changed so much, no one would believe he's twenty years old...

However, it's normal for dragons to grow faster in the Federation era, since as long as the money is right, the nutrition and supplements available are incomparable to what they used to be.

Old Aaron stepped aside, and the ten mutants looked at each other. Finally, a one-armed girl mustered up her courage and raised her hand to ask a question.

"I don't want to continue playing the clown. Can I play a female knight on the children's stage, the kind of knight who charges into battle and saves the country from peril?"

"Of course! Which do you prefer as your animal companion, an eagle or a snake? I have an idea that might suit you!"

Loren said with a smile, "If you make the requests, it'll be much easier for me to fulfill them."

If you don't make any requests, how can I modify the knowledge in my head? How can I know if you prefer The Return of the Condor Heroes or The Golden Snake Swordsman?
As the first person spoke, others followed suit, and most of them shared the same desire: to no longer play clowns or villains, but instead to play positive roles, or even the protagonists of the story.

Loren was not surprised by this, as it was a very normal thing.

These people are not very old, and they already have a disability allowance, so their lives are not bad if they only live in Twilight City.

The core reason they came out was actually very simple and plain, nothing more than simple emotional value:
We want to prove that we are no less capable than others, that we can live a normal life, or even a better one, on our own. Please stop looking at us with pity...

Well, except for the last girl, who had four ears and a vertical eye between her eyebrows, and looked to be only about ten years old. Her request was the last to be made, sincere and simple, but it put Loren in a difficult position.

"I simply love acrobatics and clown work, and I want to perform acrobatics on Mr. Spark's wings while he flies."

Okay, okay, these people treat me like a life mentor, but you, Xiaozhi, want to use me as a circus performer, right?

I was wondering why you wouldn't look at me!

The little girl, who had previously been too afraid to look at Loren, now stared intently at Loren's wings, waiting expectantly for the red dragon's reply.

"That won't do, little girl. You're not a professional, and the mutation doesn't involve physical strength. With your current physical condition, it would be difficult for you to maintain your balance while the red dragon is flying."

"One dragon's might from him and you're down."

Before Loren could speak, old Aaron retorted first.

But before the young girl could express her disappointment or objection, the old man continued with a smile,

"Go and become a thief, and learn to become an extraordinary one. I happen to know a halfling who is a thief, and I hope to have a human apprentice who is not a halfling."

"OK, all right!"

The little girl's previously downcast expression brightened.

Seeing this, Loren was secretly relieved, but it also reminded him that always performing alone was not a good thing. The audience would get tired of it. Should he do some combination performances with someone?
With so many druid apprentices and full-fledged druids in the park, it wouldn't be a problem for them to transform into griffins, eagles, or eagle owls and engage in aerial chases, right?
"But that's all in the future. Right now, I'm really popular enough, and my merchandise is selling quite well..."

Loren thought about it and found it somewhat amusing when he thought about the massive amount of traffic he received on the Magic Crystal Network.

Still trying to generate buzz? Lately, even the real top celebrities in various regions haven't become as popular as they are, because most of the online marketing companies in those regions are still undergoing asset restructuring!

(End of this chapter)