Dragon Raja: Reboot

「TRY A WEEK WITHOUT RAILWAY!!!」

A giant white banner hangs in the empty waiting hall of Chicago's train station.

Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang stood below the banner, looking up at the Chicago railroad workers' protest against tyranny.

"Try a week without the trains!"

That's roughly what the banner meant.

The CC1000 branch line express train has been discontinued.

The people hanging the banner were clearly railroad workers from the Chicago Railroad, presumably dissatisfied with the high intensity and low pay of their work and demanding more reasonable treatment.

Kassel College is indeed a very powerful institution; they were able to persuade the Chicago government to open the CC1000 feeder express train and operate it themselves.

But as long as it's a train, it has to run on the tracks. Without switchmen and a dispatch center, even the most luxurious train can't enter the station.

Lu Mingfei touched his nose, paying little attention to the banner, but kept looking around as if he was looking for someone.

Chu Zihang had been observing his junior brother from the sidelines.

To be honest, he was a little confused about his junior brother's intentions.

When my junior brother got off the plane this morning, he acted exactly as usual, as if his chance encounter with Odin on the highway was just a dream.

But who would believe that it was just a dream?

But that's exactly how his junior brother behaved, which left Chu Zihang somewhat puzzled.

In addition, the lingering headache that started this morning kept him silent the whole way.

At this point, Chu Zihang felt it necessary to have a deep conversation with his junior brother, at least to have a showdown in some aspects.

"Senior brother, have you encountered this situation before?"

The junior brother looked around and asked casually.

Chu Zihang was taken aback for a moment, then honestly replied, "No, I'm a Level A. Every time I arrive at the station at the time Norma tells me, the train is waiting on the platform. After checking my ticket and entering the station, it departs in just a few minutes."

The junior brother sighed deeply, hanging his head, and said, "But I'm different. This train has never been on time for me."

Chu Zihang frowned and said, "The school arranges train services based on bloodline level. You are currently the only S-level student, so you should have the highest priority. Why didn't you arrive on time?"

"The first time the train conductor said he'd made a mistake and thought I was in 'B' class, I even bumped into Fengou that time. We shared a Coke because we were both broke. Looking back now, it was all a tragic fate!"

"The second time was when I came back from the Three Gorges. It was winter, and the railway was closed due to a blizzard. This was the third time. I thought there shouldn't be any problems, right? Now everyone knows I'm 'S' level, right? It won't snow or freeze in the summer, right? I've never heard of a train not running because of the heat! Then you saw it, the workers went on strike. By the way, congratulations to your senior, the first time you were stood up by the train was with me."

"this……"

Chu Zihang was a little unsure how to comfort him.

"Just consider it bad luck. Have you ever played Monopoly? When bad luck strikes, things really go terribly, but it only lasts for a while. After seven days, the bad luck will be gone. Find a hotel in Chicago for those seven days, and you can go see Lake Michigan. Now is the best season for sailing on the lake. In two months, the friendly match between the college and the University of Chicago will start. You've been participating in the sailing training camp, right?"

"Senior brother, you don't understand the situation. It's not me who's possessed by the god of misfortune, it's you. You, the president of the Lionheart Society, are a big shot in the clubs at Kassel College, always having the upper hand. You've never experienced the hardship of waiting for a bus. Now you've been possessed, so you're stuck here too."

Lu Mingfei patiently explained,

"Training camp? I did participate, but wasn't that just for going to see pretty girls?"

"Oh, I see." Chu Zihang was taken aback.

But junior brother, aren't you at least a second-generation species?

A small student club could be wiped out in the blink of an eye, right?

"And me," the junior brother pointed to himself, his face contorted with misfortune, "I'm the embodiment of bad luck! You'll be sent off in seven days, but I'll still be just as unlucky!"

Chu Zihang stared blankly at his junior brother's mournful face, silently thinking to himself.

Even the first generation of the species... can they be stood up by humans?

If the workers knew that their strike had directly caused a first-generation race member to look miserable, I wonder if they would proudly post it on Twitter or Facebook.

He could only reach out and pat his junior brother's shoulder, comforting him, "It's okay, I don't care about being possessed by you..."

The junior brother, with tears welling in his eyes and overflowing with gratitude, grasped his senior brother's hand and shook it vigorously, his face full of deep emotion, and said:

"Senior brother, I'm a bit short on cash lately. Could you cover my hotel and other expenses for the next week?"

Chu Zihang tried to pull his hand away, but found that his junior brother was holding it very tightly, looking like he wouldn't let go until he agreed.

Junior brother... is he really a first-generation species?

He couldn't help but begin to doubt himself.

Perhaps what happened on the highway was just a dream?

Did he faint on the way because of an abdominal injury?

Because too much blood had seeped out, his junior brother helped him change his clothes. Odin was just dreaming.

Amidst self-doubt, Chu Zihang couldn't help but try to explain what had happened yesterday, even forming a complete logical chain.

He was a student majoring in Alchemy and Mechanical Engineering, but he also took a course on Dragon Genealogy during his freshman year. It was a course that studied the history of dragons and delved into the dark side of their history.

In that dark history, dragons often appeared as a negative figure.

They are brutal, bloodthirsty, and warlike... The so-called benevolence and righteousness are worthless in their eyes. There is no friendliness even among their own kind, let alone towards slave-like humans.

But no professor ever told him that the first generation of dragons who held power and authority was actually a complete idiot...

If that's really the case, then the reason for the decline and extinction of the dragon race seems to be explained.

There's no need for everyone to slay dragons anymore. Perhaps the school could change course and build a dragon-raising pavilion similar to a zoo, so that everyone can work together to protect this endangered animal.

Chu Zihang looked at his junior brother and fell into deep thought.

If my junior brother is indeed a first-generation dragon, then perhaps I can stay by his side for the time being, observe him secretly, and learn about the essence and truth of the dragon race from him.

My teacher once said that if you want to defeat your enemy, you must understand him/her thoroughly.

This way, I wouldn't have to tell the teachers or the school about my junior's situation. I could just keep an eye on him. My junior spent a year living a quiet life at school, which was enough to prove that he was harmless.

The post-mission report can also include phrases like "In order to better observe my junior colleague..."

"Senior brother, senior brother!"

Chu Zihang suddenly looked up, snapping out of his reverie.

His junior brother held his hand and called out to him with deep affection.

He took a deep breath and reassured her, "Since you're short on money, why don't you live with me? I'll pay the rent."

This way, I can completely monitor my junior brother.

Chu Zihang silently said to himself.

But he also knew in his heart that he simply didn't want to expose his junior brother.

He was a top executive in the executive department and knew how the secret party dealt with Long: there was no compromise or tolerance, only a fight to the death!

A soft chuckle suddenly came from above: "What are two grown men doing in a hotel room?"

Chu Zihang was startled. Was there a third person in the waiting hall besides him and his junior brother?

He and his junior brother looked up and followed the sound, and saw that the huge white banner, ten meters long and ten meters wide, was trembling slightly, as if someone was hiding behind it.

The human figure moved to the left along the crossbeam, and a hand reached out from behind the white cloth to remove the hook on the left waist. Then it moved to the right, and a hand reached out from the right to reach the hook.

"Watch out!" Chu Zihang suddenly shouted.

The beam swayed, and the person behind the white cloth lost their balance, causing the entire white cloth to be torn off. Just then, a gust of wind swept into the waiting hall, and the white cloth fell like a cloud.

The moment Chu Zihang shouted it out, he felt a powerful force coming from his junior brother's hand.

He was pushed out by his junior brother.

However, this suited him perfectly. Falling from a height of five or six meters, most people would break their bones. He had intended to catch the other person anyway.

"Ouch!"

With a gasp, Chu Zihang caught the person wrapped in a white cloth who had fallen from the sky.

Unexpectedly light and soft.

Is it a girl?

He was stunned.

"Who is this? Are they out of their mind?" The junior brother's grumbling came from behind.

A head peeked out from under the white cloth, its gaze captivating. Chu Zihang fell silent, gently placing the head on the ground. He then stepped back and stood beside his junior brother.

Both of them stared silently at the girl who had been placed on the ground.

This is a kind of awe and respect for beautiful things. Just like when tomb raiders enter Tutankhamun's tomb and face the exquisitely crafted golden mask that seems to seal away time, they will marvel and remain silent for a long time, not daring to reach out and touch it, for fear of disturbing its slumber and breaking this beauty.

The girl sat on the white cloth, looking at the two of them with curiosity. Her eyes were so clear that they reflected the shadows of the clouds and the light of the sky, and also reflected the silent figures of the two big men.

"Senior brother, it's a beauty! It's a beauty!" The junior brother suddenly nudged himself with his elbow and said excitedly.

Chu Zihang suddenly covered his head and closed his eyes in pain.

This morning, a headache that had been lingering suddenly intensified, as if a bolt of lightning had cleaved through the darkness, bringing back fragmented images from the depths of my memory.

……

……

The guy next to me, who plays guard, poked his waist and said, "Hey, that girl's looking at you! Hey, that girl's looking at you!"

He turned his head to look, but the girl's face was blurred in the glaring sunlight; he could only make out her purple skirt, white high-heeled boots, and her ponytail bouncing in the air...

who is she?

……

……

Chu Zihang suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, one hand gripping his junior brother's shoulder tightly, his body suddenly feeling weak and powerless.

"Senior brother, don't scare me! What's wrong?!" Lu Mingfei's worried voice came from beside him, which calmed Chu Zihang down a little.

"It's nothing... I just suddenly have a bit of a headache," he said softly.

He didn't know where these fragmented memories came from, nor could he remember who the girl in the pictures was.

But he had a feeling that the girl was very important to him...

"Oh, it's alright. Senior brother, you too, how could you leave someone on the ground like that? Hurry up and help them up!" Lu Mingfei's heartbroken voice reached his ears.

Before he could react, his junior brother pushed him out again.

"Chu Zihang, Mechanical Engineering Department." Chu Zihang quickly reached out and pulled the girl up.

The girl emerged from the white cloth, a black train ticket dangling from her mouth—a special ticket for the CC1000 branch express train.

She wore a plain white batik orchid camisole and short hot pants, with short socks and sneakers on her feet. It was a simple outfit, and she also had a pair of sunglasses on her head.

"Senior brother!" the girl jumped up. "I'm a freshman, Xia Mi!"

"Ahem, senior, don't block my way," Lu Mingfei nudged Chu Zihang aside with his shoulder and held out his hand, "I'm a senior too! Lu Mingfei, History Department."

"Oh, a liberal arts student?" Xia Mi's eyes widened as she carefully examined Lu Mingfei from head to toe.

The conversation, exactly the same as in his previous life, made Lu Mingfei smile and narrow his eyes.

Even if I had to do it all over again, I still have to say that my junior sister is truly a pleasing sight to behold!

"What are you doing up there?" Chu Zihang asked.

"Take that white cloth off. I don't have the money for a week-long hotel stay. I need to save money to buy a lens for my camera. This thing is pretty useless anyway. I can just pitch a tent in Central Park and sleep there for a week!"

Xia Mi plopped down on the white cloth, deftly folded the huge piece of cloth into a large pile, slung it over her shoulder, and waved her little hand, saying...

"I'm off now, see you at school!"

Chu Zihang gave a blank "oh," his mind unable to process what was happening for a moment.

"Smack."

My junior brother slapped me hard on the shoulder, leaned close to my ear, and whispered with exasperation:

"Damn it, senior brother, what's wrong with you this time? Did you fall and go crazy yesterday? That's your junior sister! Your little junior sister! How can you bear to let your cute little junior sister sleep in the park?"

Chu Zihang thought about it and realized it didn't seem like a good idea, so he said, "Wait, is it okay to pitch a tent in the park?"

"I'll tell them I'm demonstrating on behalf of my fellow Chicago railroad workers! If our railroad brothers don't return to work, I'll suffer alongside them!"

Xia Mi clenched her fist, looking serious. She was indeed a public-spirited and righteous girl with a burning passion for justice!

"Oh, that's great! Senior brother can go with you!" Lu Mingfei smiled, his eyes crinkling.

I just don't know whether the senior brother he was referring to was me or the person next to me.

Chu Zihang coughed lightly: "You don't have a social security card yet. If it's inconvenient for you to be questioned by the police, you can stay with us if you don't mind. We're going to..."

"Book a room?" Xia Mi turned around abruptly and glared at Chu Zihang.

Chu Zihang was speechless for a moment, intimidated by the fierce look in his eyes. He also realized that the invitation was inappropriate. Although they were classmates, it was their first time meeting and they were not familiar with each other.

If two boys invite a girl to live with them, and her parents find out, they'd probably come with knives and travel thousands of miles across the ocean to kill them.

"He's a tycoon! I'm so happy, please take care of me!" The next moment, Xia Mixu lay on Chu Zihang's chest, her eyes sparkling.

Chu Zihang silently took a step back.

He felt an unusual sense of familiarity with this girl.

"Let's go! Let's get a room and have a big meal! I'm starving! Airplane food is awful!"

Lu Mingfei offered to help Xia Mi carry her luggage, and they packed it up and were about to leave.

Chu Zihang suddenly realized why they looked so familiar; it turned out that his junior sister and junior brother looked very similar.

Female version of Lu Mingfei?

"Wait! I'll have another Coke!" Xia Mi shouted.

"Let's check into the hotel first and then buy it," Chu Zihang advised.

"You're saying you're buying, buying, buying!" Xia Mi made a face. "I didn't say I was going to pay, I'm broke!"

She pulled a used Coke paper cup from her bag, ran to the closed Subway entrance, stood on tiptoe, and squeezed half of her body through the metal bars.

This way, her hand holding the cup could just reach the switch on the soda machine.

A refreshing sound of water filled the air; the Subway employee had forgotten to unplug the soda machine when closing the store!

Xia Mi sipped her cola, a smug look on her face: "I didn't arrive two hours earlier than you guys for nothing; I scouted the whole area!"

"Wow, so we can have Coke too?"

"You boys can't squeeze in, I'll help you catch them!" Xia Mi reached out and pulled out two more paper cups.

On this ordinary morning, sunlight streamed through the skylight in the roof, forming a beam of light that illuminated even the dust motes rising in the air. A stunningly beautiful girl stood gracefully on one leg, like a ballerina, reaching out to offer two grown men a free Coke.

Chu Zihang felt his junior brother nudge his waist again.

"Senior brother, she's not only a beauty, she's also a junior sister! This is the legendary pretty junior sister, don't hesitate, go for it! It's a pity, she's beautiful as a flower, has a great figure, and seems to have studied dance, it's just... cough, a bit flat-chested, but nobody's perfect! Understandable!"

Lu Mingfei whispered praise in his ear, each word seemingly saying, "That girl is amazing, senior brother, don't miss out."

Chu Zihang's gaze unconsciously fell on the girl, and a thought flashed through his mind.

If that person were any fatter, they wouldn't be able to get this Coke...