Dragon Raja: Reboot

Chapter 170 The Future He Saw

Chapter 167 The Future He Saw

"What did you buy?"

Chu Zihang was stunned when he saw what Caesar was holding.

It was a figure of a busty, beautiful girl. If I remember correctly, her name was Asahina Mikuru. Both Lu Mingfei and Xia Mi have expressed their love for this anime character.

"This is called a figurine. Look, you can even change its clothes." Caesar took off Asahina Mikuru's clothes with great interest and changed her into another maid outfit.

Besides the figure, he also bought all the matching outfits, from high school girls and waitresses to bunny girls and frogs...

"I mean, why would you buy something like this?"

Shouldn't Lu Mingfei have bought this?

Chu Zihang held back his last words.

"This is definitely not for myself; it's a gift for Lu Mingfei."

Caesar shrugged.

"I have read Mr. Zhou's autobiography. As a great diplomat and leader, he could clearly remember all kinds of information about people he had met once, and would greet them when they met again, making them feel honored. He would even buy shirts for the cleaning staff whose clothes he had soiled while riding in the car. This is the philosophy of a leader: paying attention to the details of his subordinates."

"Hmm..." Caesar thought for a moment and said, "In the future I see, Lu Mingfei queued for ages just for this thing."

Chu Zihang nodded, accepting this explanation.

This guy had previously hired a van, then went into a lacquerware shop, looked through the catalog, and said, "Please pack three of each item for me." Then the van he hired arrived. Next, he went into a Kyoto silver shop and said, "Let's start loading thirty sets of silver tea utensils." Then he went into a seppuku (Japanese ware) shop…

Because he had promised to bring a gift for every member of the student council.

This approach is very Caesar-like, so it's also quite reasonable to bring Lu Mingfei a figure with interchangeable clothes.

In Chu Zihang's mind, Caesar was a natural leader; he could speak passionately about any passage in the Bible.

Sometimes he actually admired Caesar quite a bit. No matter when or where, he always had a goal, rarely feared anything, and was never discouraged. He was always the most spirited person in a group.

People can choose how they live, and Caesar was the kind of man who demanded of himself to live like a hero.

It wasn't because he was born into the Gattuso family, but because of his own will.

Caesar put down the figurine and turned to look out the window.

A black Lexus sedan drove through the streets of Tokyo. After a night of rain, the air in Tokyo was fresh, with a faint scent of seaweed.

The news reports that a warm, humid air mass from the Pacific Ocean is controlling the climate across Japan, and there will be continuous rainy days in the near future.

In fact, Caesar himself found it somewhat complicated, but he didn't know how to explain it.

He had never taken Lu Mingfei seriously; only Chu Zihang was his nemesis.

Even though Lu Mingfei underwent a huge transformation starting last semester, he only upgraded Lu Mingfei from "a passerby" to "the second Chu Zihang" or "his successor".

After all, Lu Mingfei was also a member of the student council, so he was one of their own.

As a qualified leader, when you have someone under your command who is good enough to be your equal, you should be overjoyed and define him as your successor, instead of being suspicious, thinking that he will threaten your position, and trying to get rid of him.

He has always considered himself an exceptional leader, transcending the levels of "qualified" and "excellent".

Is it really just to win people over that they queued for more than ten minutes just to help Lu Mingfei snag this limited edition figurine?

Caesar gazed absently at the scenery outside the car window, his pupils reflecting the bustling traffic and endless streams.

In his dream, he, Chu Zihang, and Lu Mingfei went through life and death together, escaping alive from eight kilometers below the surface of the sea.

Men who have gone through life and death together are true friends.

Strictly speaking, Caesar didn't have many friends. The student council members were his trusted subordinates. Subordinates and friends are two different things, let alone life-and-death friendships.

Just like how he used to find Chu Zihang displeasing no matter what, after having that dream and seeing the two of them facing life and death together eight kilometers below the surface of the ocean, he suddenly felt that this guy was actually not bad, worthy of being the opponent he had chosen.

If everything that happens in dreams is real...

After he graduates, out of consideration for this friendship, I might actually recommend Lu Mingfei to be the next student council president.

Caesar thought to himself.

"This is a country bound by rules. The whole country is a complex machine, and everyone is a cog in that machine, forced to operate at high speed by the rules. The thought of such a life is truly terrifying," Chu Zihang said softly. "Are you thinking about this too?"

Caesar was taken aback.

What the hell?

He wasn't thinking about that; he was figuring out how he should view Lu Mingfei.

Is he the successor to the student council president, or a friend who will stand by you through thick and thin?

Especially the latter.

After all, those scenes only happened in his dreams, and he needed to think about them carefully.

"I have read Benedict's 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword,' which devotes a lot of space to talking about the 'greater good' in the hearts of the Japanese."

Caesar's tone carried a slight sigh, seemingly agreeing with Chu Zihang's statement.

"If you've read it, you'll understand that this country has always lived under rules set by certain people. Those in power use rules called 'righteousness' to constrain people's hearts, pushing the needs of a few to the highest standards of the entire country. But there is never any righteousness that transcends the individual; all righteousness is nothing more than using the name of righteousness to pursue one's own selfish desires. It's truly tragic."

Caesar was still Caesar after all.

"Yes, I've read that book too," Chu Zihang nodded. "However, it was written by an American, and the author's interpretation of the Japanese people's sense of righteousness only stays at the level of ordinary people."

"Oh?"

"The Japanese sense of righteousness is divided into two types: the intelligent and the ordinary. The righteousness in the eyes of the ordinary is 'dead'; the righteousness is the righteousness, and to violate the righteousness is to violate the highest principle. Anyone who opposes the righteousness, even if they are a family member, will pay the price. But in the eyes of the intelligent, loyalty to the emperor and love for the country are the righteousness, and leading an uprising is also the righteousness."

"Those who follow the rules, and those who set the rules?"

"Yes. Some people live under rules set by others until they die, while others set their own rules."

Caesar nodded. It was quite interesting that he would one day sit side by side with his former nemesis in the back seat of a car, discussing the greater good of Japan.

The car stopped.

The girl in the black suit opened the car door, bowed deeply with her hands pressed against the seam of her trousers, and her long, jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail like that of a kendo girl.

"Welcome to our headquarters specialist at the Japan branch."

Standing outside the car door to greet them was Sakura Yabuki, Genji's assistant; they had met several times before.

Caesar climbed out of the car and looked up at the black skyscraper.

This towering building, encased in a black glass curtain wall, stands out starkly in the neighborhood, like a black iron monument, hinting at the immense power of the organizations that house it.

They visited yesterday and witnessed firsthand the workings of the Japanese underworld.

Today's visit is to see the "miracle device" that can send them to a depth of 8,000 meters at the seabed.

Some of them were supposed to arrive yesterday, but Lu Mingfei hasn't shown up yet.

That guy reported to the school that he arrived in Japan today, so the Japanese branch suggested that the plan be postponed by one day.

But last night, Lu Mingfei called Professor Schneider in the executive department to complain about how tough the Japanese customs were, and he was planning to swim to Tokyo from the border, with the arrival time tentatively set...

Professor Schneider was speechless at this.

But when he confirmed via video call that Lu Mingfei had indeed reached the border of Japanese waters, and that the guy had changed into full swimming gear and was preparing to go into the water...

He was even more speechless.

Caesar and Chu Zihang were happy to wait for Lu Mingfei, but the mission couldn't wait.

No one knows when the underwater embryo will hatch, and the later the dive, the more dangerous it will be for the mission specialists.

So they decided not to wait for Lu Mingfei.

At this time, Caesar, together with Chu Zihang, submitted an application to the academy's main campus.

Caesar passionately expressed that in just one day, they had forged a deep friendship with Mimasaka of the Japanese branch—no, with Genjiro of the Japanese branch.

They believed that Genjiro was exceptionally capable, had a stable temperament, and was experienced in combat. As a local, he was the perfect choice for a temporary teammate.

Therefore, they applied to have Yuan Zhisheng transferred to the team to temporarily replace Lu Mingfei, who was "offline".

After holding an emergency meeting, the academy headquarters approved the application and promptly relayed the relevant instructions to the Japanese branch.

……

"Chishin, this is too dangerous. You are the young master of the family. You cannot take such a risk."

The old man sat upright in front of Yuan Zhisheng and said in a deep voice.

Genjiro's expression was calm, as if he had been prepared for this for a long time.

"I know it's dangerous, but since headquarters can send their three best men down there, the Japanese branch has no reason to submit. Besides, we have no reason to oppose headquarters for the time being, unless you choose to betray headquarters now."

The old man was speechless.

The Snake Clan has indeed made the decision to betray their headquarters, but not now, at least not today.

Genjiro comforted him, "This mission is actually very simple. Just locate the embryo in the deep sea, press the launch button for the sulfur bomb, and then surface."

The old man shook his head and said, "That's what the headquarters specialists are saying. You and I know very well that the burial grounds beneath the deep sea are fraught with unknown dangers. We've modified the submarine's nuclear power plant; if it explodes, the force will exceed a million tons. Anyone who goes down there will perish along with the entire burial ground!"

Genji remained silent for a long time before whispering, "I know."

"Yes, you know, but you still intend to do it." The old man paused, looking at him intently. "You've even had the research institute make secondary modifications to the nuclear power plant, reducing the explosive power. What prompted you to do this, Chisei?"

"I... don't want anyone else to die. Chu Zihang said his Word of Power is the Flame of the Sovereign, which theoretically allows him to create massive amounts of steam on the seabed, enabling the submarine to surface quickly. He's the second engine. In that case, the survival rate wouldn't be one percent, but a staggering ninety percent," Yuan Zhisheng said softly. "Besides, I also want to see with my own eyes the city where our ancestors made their mistakes and are buried."

It's ridiculous how the guys at headquarters just casually tell others their Word of Power.

Yuan Zhisheng thought to himself.

The old man stared at him for a long time, then said softly, "That's too idealistic. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary. If you choose to reduce the power of the nuclear explosion, the survival rate of the zombie horde will increase, and then it will be our own people who die!"

"We have Erii!" Genji said in a deep voice, "Let Erii take action!"

The old man remained silent for a long time, then said softly, "We were indeed prepared to have Erii take action, but Erii's action would destroy the Corpse Guardians and everything else, including you who are currently diving upwards."

"No, we just need to surface before the Corpse Guardians." Genji seemed to have already planned it out. "With the Lord Flame accelerating and the safety locks retrieving, our ascent speed will only be faster than the Corpse Guardians!"

"...Chishin, tell me other reasons." The old man closed his eyes.

"There are many more," Genjiro said calmly. "For example, Fujiwara Shinnosuke is a member of the Gattuso family. Although the Snake Clan is powerful, it is not yet capable of interfering outside of Japan, nor is it capable of challenging the Gattuso family, the strongest among the Secret Societies. Therefore, the family cannot actually bring him to me. Caesar, on the other hand, is the heir of the Gattuso family, and I will make an agreement with him."

"Why are you so obsessed with seeing this man named Fujiwara Shinnosuke?" the old man asked, puzzled.

Yuan Zhisheng didn't give a reason, and continued, "Besides, it's not safe to have only Caesar and Chu Zihang. The people who go down must be hybrids with sufficient bloodline level. No one is more suitable than me. This is a mission that can determine the fate of the family. I said I would do my best to help you realize your dream, Father."

"Chiki... I see determination in your eyes, but I don't know whether to be happy or sad about it."

"Dad, I will support you, so please support my decision as well."

……

Ten minutes later.

Yuan Zhisheng sat alone in his office, waiting for Caesar and Chu Zihang to arrive.

He took out his cigarette case, intending to light a cigarette for himself, but instead pulled out a cigar in an aluminum tube.

This was the one Caesar had placed in his hand the night before when they first met.

He stared blankly at the aluminum tube cigar for a while, then put it back in his pocket and lit a Seven Star.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky after the rain was crystal clear, clean and refreshing.

Looking down a little further, all you see are towering skyscrapers. Among them, the Tokyo Skytree stands out, like a landmark of the city.

Yuan Zhisheng thought to himself as he smoked.

What was this city like ten years ago?

What about a hundred years ago?

A thousand years? Ten thousand years? A hundred thousand years?

Time has left its powerful marks on this land, but they are far less than the transformations that humans have made in just a few decades or years.

The bungalows that once stood before us have long since been replaced by countless high-rise buildings. The terrain in the distance has also changed beyond recognition, and humans have even built artificial islands in the sea.

But the sky is still the same sky, and the earth is still the same earth.

The world has never changed.

The only thing that has ever changed is humanity itself.

Genji exhaled the last puff of smoke and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

He took the black trench coat off the rack, put it on, and the confusion in his eyes was replaced by determination.

In that recent, bizarre dream, he saw, and only saw, the future of three people.

Or.

Scenes before death.

cherry.

Yaksha.

The crow... perhaps he should be called the next head of the Japanese executive department, Ryuji Saeki.

In an unknown future, the three people closest to him left this cold world one after another.