Lu Mingfei: What? They're all real!

[It's just that I've lifted my self-imposed limitations. I used to fight you using the red dot attack; I'm really strong, okay?]

Lu Mingfei typed these words with a smirk. He originally didn't want to show off, but now he had subtly changed all over.

Old Tang seemed to be delayed by something and didn't reply immediately; his profile picture turned gray. However, Lu Mingfei received a new message on QQ.

It was a message from Chen Wenwen.

[Mingfei, are you coming to the literary society's reunion before graduation?]

This is a rare instance of Chen Wenwen proactively sending a message.

Lu Mingfei did not reply immediately, which was unprecedented.

He was a complex individual, always filled with inner turmoil. He genuinely wanted to see the confident red-haired girl's embarrassed expression when her plans fell through, but he also didn't want to affect unrelated people.

Lu Mingfei felt that he had grown up a bit, become more violent, but also calmer and smarter. He could tell that Chen Wenwen's mentality seemed to have changed, but he understood that it was just a vague vanity.

Her mindset began to change after she discovered that he seemed to be a "very outstanding person." This was not liking, much less love. Lu Mingfei was indeed a person who lacked love, but what he needed was genuine love.

Deep down, he didn't actually want to embarrass Chen Wenwen. This was Lu Mingfei's "moral ego"; he still retained some of the kind-hearted, slightly naive nature of him.

But driven by Lu Mingfei's "desire and self," he wanted to make everyone who harbored any ill will towards him pay the price, even if the target was the girl he felt somewhat sorry for. He easily saw through Chen Motong's plan—it was nothing more than a scheme to make him make a failed confession, and then conveniently "lend a helping hand."

For Lu Mingfei now, thinking is not a difficult thing.

"I haven't decided yet." He typed out the words truthfully.

Come on, this might be the last time we see each other.

This was Chen Wenwen's first invitation in three years, and it was even more enthusiastic than when she invited Lu Mingfei to join the literary society. Compared to Chen Wenwen's usual calm and collected demeanor, this was quite a warm welcome.

Before Lu Mingfei could reply, a friend request suddenly appeared in his status bar. The person with the big cat face avatar had sent a friend request with the ID "Nono".

He blinked, and after a moment's realization, he suddenly understood something—putting everything else aside, this academy was indeed powerful. First, they easily got his uncle and aunt's phone numbers and his family's phone numbers a few days ago, and today they easily got his QQ account...

Previously, they had also intercepted his information from the University of Chicago, and their attitude was as if they wanted to kidnap him to the United States...

The more Lu Mingfei thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. After calming down and thinking about it, he realized that this academy was very strange. It didn't seem like the kind of institution that teaches and educates people... it was more like some kind of intelligence agency.

It's not right.

He deliberately didn't accept Nuonuo's friend request, and instead slowly started typing in the chat box with Chen Wenwen.

Maybe we should just forget about it.

A few words appeared on the screen. He paused, a slight smile appearing on his lips, and then slowly typed a few more words, as if he were scattering bait.

Actually, I've always liked you, but I never had the chance to tell you.

Then, Lu Mingfei deleted the later content, leaving only the beginning. He smiled slightly and then pressed the send button.

The message was not sent.

This wasn't gambling; he had anticipated something like this would happen, though not necessarily in this form, but he was certain he "couldn't refuse" the invitation.

Lu Mingfei pressed the button again, but still couldn't send the message.

The network seemed to be interrupted; the text didn't send for a long time, and no matter how many times he pressed enter, there was no response.

This must be someone's masterpiece.

Lu Mingfei smiled. He never thought he would gain the upper hand in a battle of wits. Now he had tricked these guys into revealing their true capabilities. This was indeed an organization like a spy agency, capable of even hacking into other people's networks.

But this also sparked a rare curiosity in Lu Mingfei about the academy called "Kassel." If they had the ability to find information about "Lu Mingfei," then could they also find information about other people...?

He now has no doubt that if he tries to send Chen Wenwen a rejection message again, the person on the other end will hack his computer without hesitation and then "help" him finish the message.

Big-faced Cat's friend request was accepted, and the person on the other end couldn't wait to send a message.

Junior brother, are you ready?

The fish are really foolish, always swimming around the sharp iron hooks without any concern for their safety.

Lu Mingfei's smile deepened, but only one corner of his mouth turned up, giving off a somewhat sinister look.

I'm still a little unsure, senior sister, what if I fail?

Lu Mingfei pressed the send button, making a decision in his heart to stop agonizing over it.

He was determined to keep his word and wouldn't be satisfied until this wicked girl begged him for it.

Chapter 32 Lu Mingfei is dating behind your back!

Chen Motong's performance was perfect. She enthusiastically shared her experiences and methods, and added multiple rounds of flattery. Her speech almost reached the point where she could make anyone run off with her with just a glance.

After thinking about it carefully, Lu Mingfei realized that it was indeed difficult for the girl opposite him to know about Chen Wenwen's changing feelings. If Miss Chen Motong continued to analyze things based on the information she had gathered several days ago, then he was indeed still a loser who "secretly liked Chen Wenwen but dared not confess," and Chen Wenwen was most likely still a girl who "had feelings for Zhao Menghua" in her eyes.

Starting from this angle, it is indeed a perfect plan from every perspective. Lu Mingfei can even imagine how miserable he would be if everything remained the same, and he might even cry out in some corner.

Unfortunately, everything is different now. He's terrifyingly hard-hearted. The old Lu Mingfei might have struggled with such matters, but now, even in the worst-case scenario, he would at most say hurtful things with a heart of stone. The old Lu Mingfei might have hurt himself, but now, he would definitely choose to make others sad.

Miss Chen Motong clearly hadn't studied Stalin's poor performance in Operation Barbarossa. She didn't know that blindly believing outdated intelligence could be deadly.

[Our literary society is planning to book a whole theater to see a movie tomorrow.] He revealed all the information like a complete novice.

"That's a perfect place to confess your feelings, it's like heaven is on your side!" The girl's joy was palpable.

After rounds of confrontation, Lu Mingfei finally "mustered up his courage" and then "got back on the right track." He shyly made arrangements for the gathering with Chen Wenwen, and the time was tomorrow... The girl who usually didn't talk to Lu Mingfei was now a little more talkative—in less than an hour today, she sent Lu Mingfei more messages than she had in the past three years combined.

But in order to avoid arousing suspicion from someone who was suspected of monitoring him, Lu Mingfei hastily ended the conversation with "See you tomorrow" and cut off Chen Wenwen's chat.

He closed all chat interfaces, even shut down the StarCraft game, and sat in front of his laptop screen, lost in thought.

Although he mocked Chen Motong for playing with outdated cards, he didn't even have any outdated information.

His beloved younger brother, capable of doing incredible things, appears and disappears like a ghost. Now, when he calls Lu Mingze's name, only a chubby little square figure responds. It's even difficult for him to ask the questions he didn't get a chance to ask...

Lu Mingfei pondered silently. Such contemplation was a rare thing for him. The standard Lu Mingfei transformed into the strategist Lu Mingfei, and began to work his somewhat rusty brain.

Old Tang came back online, his avatar lit up, and then he was bombarded with messages.

Old Tang angrily rebuked Lu Mingfei for being unfair, actually trying to use cheating to seize the top spot in the channel—for a long time, Old Tang had been number one, and Lu Mingfei had been number two, so Old Tang always referred to himself as the "big brother".

Lu Mingfei made a vicious oath using his parents, whom he hadn't seen for almost ten years, but failed to gain Lao Tang's trust. Thus, a new game began amidst the tension.

The result was that Lao Tang was killed once again.

"Brother, you're really not being fair. If you were cheating, just admit it honestly. Why did you have to let vanity blind you?" Old Tang admonished him with deep regret.

【Old Tang, your Chinese has improved so much! You can even use long and complex sentences now.】 Lu Mingfei only realized something was wrong after sending the message, and then quickly questioned Old Tang how he was so sure that he had cheated?

"Because I just opened it." Old Tang said matter-of-factly, "If you can't even beat this, what else could it be but opening it?"

What did you say yourself?

"I'm an orphan." Old Tang remained even more self-righteous than before.

Lu Mingfei was now powerless to retaliate and could only type a few periods to express his speechless feelings.

He thought, since everyone is working so hard, it's better not to have any ambitions for the top spot on the channel... Also, Old Tang's parents were really irresponsible. They didn't raise their child well or educate him properly. They deserved to die young!

Then Lao Tang didn't say anything, but a camera icon popped up in the lower right corner. This was a video request from Lao Tang, along with a text message he sent.

Let's stop playing and chat for a bit.

The internet is a very friendly place. People from all over the world live behind masks, but once they go online, they are willing to trust others without reservation. Lu Mingfei always worries that this pure land will one day become a mess, but after having such thoughts, he laughs at himself for being nosy.

He can't even manage himself, so worrying about others is really unnecessary.

Lu Mingfei pressed the "agree" button, and a large face appeared in the window, with drooping eyebrows and a somewhat comical appearance. Old Tang grinned, his electric microphone blaring like a thunderclap, as if he were on the front lines of an Iraqi battlefield.

But Lu Mingfei couldn't laugh at all. He frowned, leaned closer to the screen, blinked hard several times, and even wiped his eyes twice—he saw a familiar face again!

“Norton?” he uttered a somewhat strange name, a name not recorded in any ancient texts, yet it came out of Lu Mingfei’s mouth naturally.

"What are you talking about, bro?" Old Tang didn't react at all. His already drooping eyebrows became even more exaggerated. He waved his hand and made a funny face. "You're not trying to get away with cheating by pretending to be stupid, are you?"

"Norton..."

Lu Mingfei started fiddling with his strange pronunciation again, like a reptile exhaling, which startled Old Tang this time.

But then, in less than half a second, Old Tang snapped out of it, yelling in a thunderous voice, "Dude, are you calling me? Don't play dumb like that! My last name is Tang, and my full name is Ronald Tang. Don't you think the name Norton is a bit too strange?"

Lu Mingfei felt as if his ears had been hit by a massive blow, and he couldn't help but grimace, but he was more confused than anything else.

He felt he hadn't mistaken the person; the person before him was clearly Norton, just as he had recognized Jormungandr. He couldn't possibly be mistaken. But the old man before him seemed completely unaware of this, not that he denied it, but simply that he didn't feel the name "Norton" had anything to do with him.

"You really don't know this name?" Lu Mingfei pressed.

"Are you really trying to distract yourself from the embarrassment of cheating this way?" Old Tang suddenly burst into laughter. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Actually, I was a noob back then and I cheated every day. I swore to my parents every time, and slowly I became good."

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched for several days, thinking to himself that kids without parents are really tough, they don't have any psychological burden at all...

But he was also certain that Old Tang did not react to the name Norton, at least not as excitedly as Jormungandr. He didn't know if he had mistaken him for someone else or if there was some other reason.

So he had no choice but to put aside that plan for the time being and chat with Lao Tang wholeheartedly.

Lu Mingfei asked Lao Tang if he knew a college called Kassel. Lao Tang said he dropped out of high school and had never been to a college in his life. However, he did know that there were many private schools in the United States that were even more prestigious than the Ivy League schools! When Lao Tang said this, he had the air of a taxi driver in the capital discussing what major event had happened near the Forbidden City.

Lu Mingfei then mentioned that he had been accepted by the college, but hadn't decided whether to go. Old Tang became even more enthusiastic and started telling urban legends, saying that there were actually schools in the US that developed superpowers, and that Kassel might be one of them. He strongly invited Lu Mingfei to come.

Old Tang has essentially transformed into an admissions officer in Kassel, ranking to the right of Guderian. However, Lu Mingfei guesses that Old Tang probably still prefers to find a playmate he can meet in person.

With just one glance, Lu Mingfei was certain—even if the person in front of him wasn't the "Norton" he remembered—Old Tang must be a lonely person, just like him, the same kind of person.

The two chatted idly, talking about everything. In just ten minutes, Lu Mingfei had already heard Old Tang recount his life story twice. The more he looked at Old Tang, the more he felt that he was the "Norton" he remembered.

"When are you coming to visit me? I don't have any friends and I'm so lonely."

The burly man made no attempt to hide his vulnerable heart, and for a moment he seemed like a lonely little girl. He invited Lu Mingfei to visit his place after he arrived, saying he would take Lu Mingfei on a trip across the entire North American continent in his beloved Greyhound.

Lu Mingfei readily agreed. Whether in the past or present, he has always been a person who likes to make promises, but he can never keep them. He always wants to change, always feels that if things continue like this, one day it will lead to tragedy, but he can never help but make promises so easily.

Old Tang hung up the video call with satisfaction. He said he was a bounty hunter and might die any day, so he solemnly said goodbye to Lu Mingfei before disconnecting.

The connection was cut, and the room suddenly fell silent again. Lu Mingfei seemed to be affected by the person on the other end of the screen; for a moment, he also felt incredibly lonely, even though there was a lot of noise outside the door. Little Fatty Lu Mingze was arguing with his aunt about something, and the doorbell kept ringing. He wondered if his uncle, who had gone out, had returned—

"what!"

The chubby boy, pouting as he opened the door, let out a deep, resonant voice that shattered the silence and even pulled Lu Mingfei out of the abyss of loneliness.

"Mom! There's a really pretty girl outside. She says she's here to see Lu Mingfei. He's dating someone behind your back!" Lu Mingze's shouts echoed in the room.

Chapter 33 I've Come to Play with Lu Mingfei

Lu Mingfei went to investigate upon hearing the sound and found a pretty girl standing at the door, smiling sheepishly and waving at her aunt inside the room.

She is Miss Jormungandr, who insists that her name is "Xia Mi".

You're home?

The girl shrank back as she greeted him. She didn't wave, but instead lightly clenched her fingers in the air. Her tone was light and sweet, like the little girl next door who would visit Lu Mingfei whenever she had free time.

"Mingfei?"

My aunt was extremely surprised.

She couldn't accept that such a beautiful girl would come to play with Lu Mingfei. She secretly looked the girl in the skirt up and down, and couldn't find any fault with her. Men always look at a woman's legs first, but women always look at a woman's waist. She saw that the girl was bending over in a posture that didn't show off her figure, but the lines were still obvious. With just one glance, her aunt could no longer deny that this was a perfect girl.

Auntie was always incredibly worried about her son's marriage, but she also knew that her son's appearance was a real problem in this regard. Although she had to admit that Lu Mingfei was now beyond her control, she couldn't accept such a stark contrast. The girls she had started looking for beforehand could hardly be considered "good-looking girls," but Lu Mingfei had already brought beautiful girls home.

The girl stood quietly at the door, her two long, slender legs supporting her body straight, like two bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground, perfectly embodying the idiom "graceful and elegant." She blinked quietly, as if onomatopoeia were appearing in the air—she was simply a girl who had stepped out of a comic book.

"Can't I go in?"

She made a pitiful face and asked the people in the room, maybe Xiang Lumingfei, maybe Aunt Xiang, but the most intense reaction came from the little fat boy Lu Mingze, who had no say in the matter. He grabbed his mother's arm and asked her urgently but also subtly.

The aunt glanced helplessly at her good-for-nothing son beside her, and finally had to accept the fact that Lu Mingfei was far superior to Lu Mingze. She put on a warm smile, took a step back, and eagerly invited the girl to come in first.

The pretty girl didn't seem to know any manners. After being given permission, she crouched down and squeezed through the door. Then she rushed towards Lu Mingfei with her head down, as if she wanted to give him a big hug. Her aunt was a little anxious. She didn't want the house to be filled with the sour smell of love right now. Lu Mingze next to her started humming, like a little pig looking up at food but unable to reach it.

But then, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. The girl didn't throw herself into Lu Mingfei's arms; instead, she landed to his side.

call--

Aunt and Lu Mingze both breathed a sigh of relief, but then they watched as the girl quickly disappeared into Lu Mingfei's room—actually, it was a room shared by Lu Mingfei and Lu Mingze, but now the Brahmin Lord Lu Mingfei always drove the lowly Lu Mingze out, so except for sleeping time, it was his private territory.

The two of them held their breath again, watching in horror as Lu Mingfei was forcibly dragged into the room by the girl.

The aunt stood frozen in place, pondering whether she should offer some "safety tips," but the door closed quickly, and she didn't even have a chance to speak. Lu Mingze beside her was sighing and baring his teeth, which annoyed her as well. So, the woman, who often resorted to violence and verbal attacks, turned her anger on her son, and the two argued and bickered all the way to the kitchen.

-----------------

Xia Mi was like a clumsy little thief. As soon as she entered the room, she rolled her dark eyes around as if she were looking for something or someone.