Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Lu Mingfei looked up at the sky speechlessly. Fine, whatever makes you happy.

"Speaking of which," Lu Mingfei still couldn't help but worry, "is this place really that easy to get by in? What if, I mean, what if, a customer gets drunk and throws money in my face, insisting that I spend the night with her? What should I do? Call the police? Would calling the police here be like walking into a trap?"

“You need to understand the rules here,” Caesar said, adopting a senior-instructing tone. “Host clubs in Japan are legal social establishments that primarily offer entertainment, drinking companionship, and conversation—services that provide emotional value. In those cheap, poorly managed little shops, there might be some illegal private transactions. But Takamagahara is the pinnacle of Tokyo’s host club scene. The top hosts here are like the highest-ranking courtesans or the most prestigious geishas in ancient brothels—they hold a transcendent status and, in principle, sell their art, not their bodies.”

Caesar, who was well-versed in this subject, spoke eloquently: "I have read relevant books. In ancient times, even for the powerful and wealthy, it was extremely difficult to meet a high-ranking official. You had to spend lavishly in the shop to impress the owner and make him think you were someone worth recommending before he would send an invitation to the high-ranking official to meet you for the first time."

"Damn, this doesn't sound easy," Lu Mingfei thought, feeling something was off.

“This is just a meeting,” Caesar continued, picking up a razor and carefully removing the hair from his calves.

"If a court lady sees you and is not satisfied, she may turn around and leave, and all your previous efforts will be wasted. You need to repeatedly seek an audience with her and slowly win her heart. This process is almost like pursuing an unattainable lover. Once you have won over a court lady, you cannot seek out other court ladies during the relationship, and in theory, a court lady will not completely refuse other guests."

As he spoke, he skillfully shaved his leg hair, his posture surprisingly elegant.

"It's so, so detailed! So vivid!" Lu Mingfei blushed and quickly lowered his head, burying half his face in the hot water. "I can't look at it directly! Boss, your knowledge is too obscure!"

"Tomorrow it will be my turn to perform, the theme is Apollo," Caesar said, becoming somewhat eager. "I will wear golden leather shorts and a cape, and be covered in olive oil so that I can shimmer under the lights. Leg hair will affect the overall smooth aesthetic, so it must be cleaned up. In short..."

He summarized, "Our current position in this industry is similar to that of a court physician. We have style, status, and require respect and admiration from our guests. Most guests will abide by these unspoken rules, at most they'll get drunk and cry in your arms, pouring out their hearts."

Lu Mingfei thought for a moment, still a little worried, and asked in a low voice, "Then, what about the academy? If the school finds out that we worked as male escorts in Japan, will they deduct our credits? Or even punish us?"

"Are you stupid? How could the academy possibly know about something like this?" Caesar revealed a sly, confident smile, the glow of his cigar illuminating his blue eyes. "Have you forgotten who the leader of this task force is?"

“You,” Lu Mingfei answered honestly.

“Therefore, after returning to the academy, I will write the mission report, explaining our experiences and actions during our time in Japan.” Caesar snapped his fingers, splashing water droplets. “I will write it like this: In order to evade the meticulous search of the Snake Clan, we infiltrated a psychological counseling and social training institution targeting high-end female clients, posing as emotional companions.”

"Our job is to accompany female clients who are experiencing psychological stress or emotional needs, helping them alleviate their emotions and rebuild their confidence in life through listening, communication, and appropriate care. See, this is completely in line with the spirit of humanitarianism, and it can even be said that we are shouldering the social responsibility of helping vulnerable groups. As long as we ignore the term 'gigolo,' we can see ourselves as professional and loving psychological counselors."

Caesar looked at Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang, "That makes perfect sense, doesn't it? As long as the three of us stick to the same story, how could anyone in the academy possibly know the truth?"

Lu Mingfei stared at Caesar in disbelief. This guy had not only completely adapted to his role, but had even begun meticulously crafting lies for his return! His mental fortitude and adaptability were truly worthy of the student council president.

“Boss, I feel like you’ve completely embraced the role of ‘Basara King’.” Lu Mingfei covered his face again, his voice muffled as it came through his fingers. “During the days I was unconscious, did you awaken some deep-seated desire within you? Did you find a new direction in your life?”

“You could say that,” Caesar readily admitted, even with a hint of pride. “Here, remember, there is no Caesar Gattuso, no Chu Zihang, and no Lu Mingfei. There is only Basara King, Ukyo Tachibana, and…” He glanced at Lu Mingfei, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"And what?" Lu Mingfei had a bad feeling.

"And your flower name, Sakura," Chu Zihang added, "While you were unconscious, the shopkeeper already decided on it based on your temperament. Translated into Chinese, it's 'Little Cherry Blossom.'"

"Sakura?!" Lu Mingfei was struck dumb, frozen in the bathtub.

Sakura? Little Cherry Blossom? What a weak and effeminate name! It would be better to call it "Scars of the Setting Sun"! At least that sounds a bit melancholic!

Chapter 619 The Reason for Staying at a Host Club (Part 1)

In the steamy bathroom, Chu Zihang casually tossed the Japanese newspaper he had mostly deciphered onto the dry wooden floor. The newspaper made a soft "thud" as it hit the ground, a sound that was particularly clear in the quiet space filled with steam and the only sounds of crackling firewood.

He rose from the bathtub, splashing water as the rising steam outlined his lean and well-defined physique. Reaching out, he retrieved his ever-present longsword from the rim of the tub, his wet fingers gripping the scabbard, water droplets sliding down its cold, hard lines.

“He even takes a bath with his sword at all times,” Caesar said, leaning against the edge of his wooden tub, cigar smoke rising gently. His golden eyelashes trembled slightly in the steam, and his tone carried the usual sarcasm directed at his nemesis. “He has a certain tragic air about him, like a down-on-his-luck ronin from the Warring States period, always ready to draw his sword and kill someone.”

Chu Zihang seemed not to hear his teasing. He walked barefoot to the cool floor and under the Japanese-style showerhead. He turned on the cold water valve, and the icy water instantly hit his skin, which was flushed from soaking in the bath, raising goosebumps and creating a thicker mist.

He closed his eyes, letting the cold water wash over his head, neck, shoulders, and back. The water flowed down the grooves of his muscles. His posture was calm and focused. It was not like he was washing his body, but more like a swordsmith giving a final quench to a newly forged sword blank. The collision of cold and heat was only to achieve the ultimate sharpness.

“Actually, hiding in this host club isn’t our only or best option, is it, Caesar?” Chu Zihang’s voice came through the rushing water.

Caesar paused, his fingers holding the cigar. He turned his head and looked through the rising steam at Chu Zihang's back as it was washed by the cold water. His brows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

“Both of us have undergone the most rigorous wilderness survival training. We know how to use the environment to obtain food and water, and how to hide and fight in extreme conditions. Even without supplies, it is not impossible for the two of us to survive for three months in the mountains and forests of Kobe. You are especially good at tracking and hunting.”

Chu Zihang turned off the water valve, picked up a towel from the side, and began to wipe his body, his movements unhurried. "But you insisted on staying here, staying in Takamagahara. Not just because it provides shelter and food, but also because..."

He turned around, his wet black hair plastered to his forehead, and his golden eyes clearly locked onto Caesar in the dim light of the bathroom. "This place is only two streets away from the Genji Heavy Industries and the headquarters of the Snake Clan."

As he spoke, he walked to his clothes rack and picked up a neatly ironed black tactical uniform that seemed completely out of place for a male escort.

“You’re not looking for a hiding place to disappear into the shadows, Caesar. You’re looking for a bridgehead for a counterattack, an observation post that can spy on, or even pierce, the enemy’s heart at any moment. You never intended to really hide.”

A brief silence fell over the bathroom, broken only by the crackling of the burning firewood and the soft splashing of water as Lu Mingfei, in his shock, forgot to paddle. Steam condensed for a moment.

Caesar was silent for a few seconds, then he forced a cold smile. He relaxed, leaning back against the tub, letting the hot water submerge his chin, leaving only his hand holding the cigar and his sharply defined face exposed. The red glow of the cigar shimmered faintly in the depths of his eyes.

"Ha, you're absolutely right." He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "Which great philosopher said that? The one who understands you best is often not your friend, but your opponent. Chu Zihang, you're always so perceptive, it's annoying."

Lu Mingfei glanced at Caesar, then at Chu Zihang, who was already deftly putting on his black bodysuit, his mind buzzing. He had previously only felt that being cooped up in the host club was stifling and absurd, but he had never thought about it in this deeper. Now that Chu Zihang had pointed it out, and considering Caesar's usual arrogant and domineering attitude, everything seemed to make sense.

“Once the academy’s headquarters personnel arrive in Tokyo, they will take over all the investigations, conflicts, and retaliations,” Chu Zihang said, putting on his coat. His tone remained calm, like a scalpel dissecting Caesar’s unspoken thoughts.

"As for us, as trainees who have 'experienced danger and need rest,' we will be sent away from Japan immediately. You, Caesar Gattuso, will be especially protected and will most likely be sent directly back to the Gattuso family castle in Rome, so that your family can see with their own eyes that their heir is safe and sound, without a single hair missing."

Chu Zihang fastened the last button, turned around, and met Caesar's gaze again. "But you don't want that. You don't want things to be resolved like this, you don't want to be sent away like a delicate porcelain vase, and you certainly don't want those who tried to kill us and almost succeeded to go unpunished."

“The Eight Serpent Clan,” Caesar’s voice turned cold, all traces of his previous languor and mockery vanished, leaving only the majesty and anger of a superior. Even as he soaked naked in the bathtub, his imposing presence remained undiminished. “They did something unforgivable before my eyes.”

He didn't specify what it was, but Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang both understood that he was referring to Miss Zhen's injury and the ruthless assassination attempt against them.

"If you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. That's only natural."

Lu Mingfei suddenly understood everything. For ordinary people, being attacked might be something they are powerless to do. But for someone like Caesar Gattuso, it was a disgrace branded on his pride. The heir of the Gattuso family, the student council president, the future leader of the dragon slayers, had actually nearly lost his life in an attack by Japanese yakuza.

This defeat and humiliation were absolutely intolerable to Caesar. The shame had to be washed away with blood. And the only force capable of mobilizing such an elite force as the Red Guards could be the colossus, the Snake-Headed Eight Families. They had crossed a line that Caesar absolutely could not cross.

“I said, boss,” Lu Mingfei sighed. The hot water had cooled down a bit. He carefully chose his words to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere. “You’ve done your best. Miss Zhen was safe and sound in the end, wasn’t she? There was just a small accident along the way.”

“An accident?” Caesar repeated the word, standing up from the water, splashing water everywhere, droplets rolling off his muscular body. He bent down and took his signature, gleaming silver Desert Eagle from a waterproof, sealed bag beside the tub, his movements swift and decisive, a stark contrast to his previous languid soak.

"In the Gattuso family dictionary, there is no word for accident. So-called accidents are nothing more than the most feeble excuses that incompetent people and cowards make for themselves." He checked the gun, confirming that it was well-sealed and had not been flooded, his eyes sharp as knives.

Lu Mingfei was speechless. He understood. He understood completely. Both Caesar and Chu Zihang knew perfectly well what was going on. This luxurious host club, only two blocks away from Genji Heavy Industries, was by no means a safe haven; on the contrary, it might be even more dangerous because it was close to the eye of the storm.

So these two lunatics even keep their weapons with them when taking a hot bath, maintaining the highest level of vigilance at all times.

Chapter 620 The Reason for Staying at a Host Club (Part 2)

For Caesar and Chu Zihang, condescending to play the role of gigolos to please women was by no means a pleasant experience; it would undoubtedly be a dark stain on their lives. However, neither of them raised any objections, nor did they choose a safer or more respectable way to hide.

Because whether it's the proud nobleman Caesar or the stubborn avenger Chu Zihang, they are essentially the same kind of people who cannot tolerate deception, let alone failure.

From the moment they made their choice in front of that advertising truck, hiding was merely a facade; revenge was the turbulent undercurrent buried beneath the calm surface. They remained there like hunters lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity, or perhaps creating one.

"Knock, knock, knock." The knocking broke the heavy and subtle atmosphere in the bathroom.

Caesar's eyes narrowed, and almost without hesitation, he tossed the Desert Eagle to Chu Zihang. Chu Zihang had anticipated this, catching it steadily with a fluid motion as if he had practiced it a thousand times.

The next second, Chu Zihang's figure had silently flashed behind the exquisite openwork wooden screen in the corner of the bathroom, his aura concealed, as if he had merged with the shadows. Caesar quickly grabbed a large white bath towel, hastily wrapped it around his waist, and, barefoot and still wet with water droplets, walked towards the door.

This series of actions happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that Lu Mingfei only blinked, and the situation was completely different. He froze in the bathtub, not daring to even breathe, feeling his heart pounding wildly. The sentimental thoughts about chastity and lower limits he had just had were instantly thrown to the winds.

The door was pulled open a crack.

Standing outside the door was Fujiwara Kansuke. But he was completely different from the mountain of flesh demons on the dance floor, wearing a bright purple tight dress and passionately shaking his hips. At this moment, he had his usually loose hair meticulously combed into a traditional samurai topknot, revealing his broad and majestic forehead.

He changed into a dark blue striped kimono, the fabric of which was crisp and the front of the garment was boldly open, revealing his muscular chest, which resembled the roots of an old tree. The four characters "风林火山" (Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain) were boldly written on the chest in thick ink, the strokes powerful and vigorous, as if carrying the blood and spirit of a battlefield.

At this moment, Fujiwara Kansuke no longer possessed any trace of humor or lewdness. He stood like a steady mountain blocking the doorway, his arm muscles, visible from his forearm sleeve, were as strong as a bull's leg. His broad face was expressionless, and his long, narrow eyes were fixed in a deep gaze, like an ancient sword before it was drawn, piercing straight at Caesar, who was only wearing a bath towel.

Lu Mingfei shivered inexplicably, his mind flashing back to the frenzied image of sumo wrestlers grabbing their opponents' loincloths, unleashing a deafening roar, and violently hurling their equally heavy opponents out of the ring. This seemingly absurd host club was indeed a den of hidden talents.

"Ten minutes," Fujiwara Kansuke said, his English slightly stiff but clear enough, his voice deep and resonant like rolling thunder. "Get dressed. The manager wants to see you." After saying that, he nodded slightly, and without waiting for a response, he reached out and closed the door again, his movements swift and decisive.

The oppressive pressure eased slightly after the door closed. Lu Mingfei let out a long sigh of relief and noticed that his palms were sweaty.

"An interview?" Caesar walked back to the bathtub, picked up another towel to dry his body, and looked towards the screen. "It's coming sooner than I expected."

From behind the screen came Chu Zihang's calm voice: "As expected."

However, before they could even begin to act...

"Knock knock." The door was knocked on again.

Caesar went to open the door again. Outside, Fujiwara Kansuke still stood like a mountain, his posture and expression exactly the same as before, as if he had never left.

“Bring Sakura along,” Fujiwara Kansuke added, his gaze seemingly sweeping past Caesar, across the bathroom, and lingering for a moment on Lu Mingfei. “The manager will be interviewing him too.”

After saying that, he closed the door again.

Lu Mingfei shivered in the steaming bathtub; the hot water couldn't dispel the chill that crept up his spine.

"Holy crap, this is way too fast!!" he cried, his voice trembling with grief. "I haven't even figured out the rules of this shop yet, I haven't even finished the tutorial, how did I skip straight to the final boss?! This isn't fair! This is a rigged game!"

“The first lesson you need to learn about Takamagahara is,” Caesar said, quickly drying himself as he walked to his clothes rack, where his ironed, luxurious attire befitting his status as “Basara King” hung. “Here, no one dares to disobey the shopkeeper. He is the man known as the ‘Whale’.”

"The title 'Whale'?" Lu Mingfei quickly climbed out of the tub, frantically searching for a towel, his habit of humbly seeking knowledge kicking in again.

I'm going to see that crazy shop manager in ten minutes, so cramming at the last minute is better than being completely clueless! "What does this mean? Does it mean he can spray a lot of water, or that he can eat a lot?"

"Japan is surrounded by the sea, and its national character and culture are deeply influenced by the ocean, worshipping its vastness and power." Chu Zihang, who was already dressed, walked out from behind the screen, handed the Desert Eagle back to Caesar, and put his long sword back on his waist.

"Among marine creatures, whales are undoubtedly the rulers, being the largest and strongest. At the same time, in some cultures, whale meat is also considered a food with special nourishing properties. Therefore, the title 'whale' is usually used to describe a man who possesses absolute power in a certain field and can be called the strongest."

He explained things in a very methodical way, just like he was imparting knowledge in a classroom.

"The, the strongest?" Lu Mingfei asked, his eyes wide with disbelief as he hastily put on the soft white bathrobe that the waiter had prepared in advance. "Are you talking about that idiot store manager with black feather wings stuck to his back, holding a big pair of scissors, flying around on stage, and talking like he's singing rock and roll?"

“While his style is certainly quite distinctive,” Caesar said, having changed into a burgundy velvet shirt and adjusting his slightly damp blond hair in front of the blurry bronze mirror on the wall, his lips twitching slightly at the question, “don’t you think that our beloved Principal Angers sometimes looks like a crazy old man?”

He turned to look at Lu Mingfei, “But this doesn’t contradict whether they are terrifying figures that shouldn’t be easily provoked. In fact, sometimes, it’s precisely because they are unusual that they seem even more unfathomable.”

Lu Mingfei froze, his mind involuntarily overlapping the flamboyant shopkeeper with that of Principal Angers, who always sipped red tea and uttered astonishing remarks with a smile. Something did seem off, yet strangely, it made some sense.

Ten minutes. Only ten minutes.

Facing a store manager known as "Whale," with a neurotic style, comes an interview that will determine whether they can stay in this only safe haven.

Lu Mingfei's hands trembled slightly as he tied his yukata. This time, the test he faced was far more bizarre and unpredictable than any written exam or practical training at any academy. And his comrades were two cunning killers who already had one foot in the world of male escorts and harbored ulterior motives.

The future looks incredibly bright!

Chapter 621 Shop Manager - Humpback Whale

The Japanese-style sliding doors, painted with indigo mimosa flower patterns, slid open silently one after another in front of Lu Mingfei and his companions, as if unseen servants were respectfully guiding them.

On either side of each door stood tall, imposing bodyguards dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses. They stood like silent reefs, showing no reaction to Caesar and his companions' arrival, only keeping a watchful eye out of the corner of their eyes.

Lu Mingfei felt his heart pounding, and his palms were clammy with cold sweat. This pomp and circumstance, this atmosphere, it didn't seem like a job interview at a male escort club at all; it was clearly an audience with the emperor!

He even started to have wild thoughts: was a princess sitting behind the door, about to favor them, the new tributes, tonight? Or worse, was the palace's chief eunuch coming to select newcomers? Thinking of this, Lu Mingfei squeezed his legs together, his face turning pale.