Lu Mingfei: What? They're all real!

“No…” Chen Motong shook his head, “I was just… just thinking… By the way, where is Zero?”

She found a reason and then really started to care about the problem. She turned around and found that Zero was indeed not on any deck. Then she took the baby out of the cabin and tried to call out.

……

Hearing the sound, Zero, who was underwater, withdrew the Word of Power "Snake" that had been mimicking the release of the previous spell and surfaced.

She felt she had bought herself enough time.

Chapter 110 Swear to be with me forever

"So, is your childhood sweetheart reliable or not? What if she sells us out?" Xia Mi asked.

"Don't mention 'green plum' anymore, I'm terrified of hearing that word..." Lu Mingfei said, "But don't worry, it definitely won't happen. Betraying that word has nothing to do with Zero."

"Are you that confident?" Xia Mi raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased that he was expressing such trust in another girl.

"Absolutely, definitely, and without a doubt," Lu Mingfei said with absolute certainty. "Even if I don't trust myself, I definitely trust her."

"Humph!"

The girl, prone to sulking, exhaled a hot breath from her delicate nose, tilting her head to the other side as if to protest, "Being blinded by love isn't a good thing; it will blind you."

“It’s not about liking her, that’s too superficial,” Lu Mingfei said softly. “We made a vow, swearing never to betray or sell out. If you’re saying she’ll never have a bad heart, I can’t guarantee that. But if you’re asking if she would betray me, I’ll always tell you that there’s no possibility of that.”

"A vow..." The girl turned her head. "What vow?"

"This is a matter of personal privacy and shouldn't be inquired about casually," Lu Mingfei said, crossing his arms.

The girl gradually became anxious, even feeling like she was being torn apart. She took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily.

"Let's think about how to hide what we have first. Although we've moved it out of their sight, I think they'll definitely come looking for it with all their might." Lu Mingfei was more concerned about the treasure they were carrying. "I asked Zero to delay the search as much as possible, but when I think about it, it's about time. We can't keep delaying indefinitely."

The two of them were now on an island in the middle of a lake, quite a distance from the research vessel. Lu Mingfei was swimming underwater with all his might, like a torpedo.

"Let's elope, let's elope." Xia Mi's words were surprising, but judging from her face, it seemed like she was deliberately trying to provoke people, specifically choosing such words to provoke them. "Where is it safe to hide here? Be careful the monkeys don't dig it up."

“There are no monkeys here, only apes. Haven’t you heard the apes crying on both banks of the river?” Lu Mingfei stomped on the soil under his feet, wondering whether digging and burying it was a reliable idea.

He didn't think it was a very reliable option, since the water level here fluctuated. If the water rose, the soil would definitely become loose. If it was rammed earth without anything buried, it would be fine, but if something was buried, it would easily crumble... In that case, Constantine would just float to the surface and be dumped as an urn—

Lu Mingfei shook his head heavily.

"What about Nibelungen?" He thought of the structure and special features of the Bronze City, and suddenly slapped his thigh, excited that he had found a reliable solution.

"What else?" But Xia Mi didn't find the suggestion novel at all; it seemed she had thought the same thing from the beginning.

"So you had this planned all along. I thought you were really going to elope with me," Lu Mingfei snorted.

"Are you disappointed?" the girl whined louder. "If you're disappointed, then beg me. If you really want to beg me, it's not impossible."

"Let's forget it. I'm too tired. I can't run away. You'll have to carry me." Lu Mingfei spoke the truth. He was barely holding on to his last breath.

The girl pouted and sulked, muttering to herself about the differential treatment someone was giving her... Zero meant "never to betray," as if they had signed a blood oath, but to her it became "too tiring." Who would use such a reason to refuse to elope!

But when he actually tried to put it into practice, he suddenly discovered a very important problem—

He doesn't seem to be very proficient in this technology... at least not yet. He remembers some details, but some he's forgotten...

“Sigh…” He tugged at the arm of the girl next to him.

"What are you doing?" Xia Mi was muttering about someone's final change of heart, but now she suddenly felt a strange excitement rising up again.

"Teach me, please." Lu Mingfei chuckled sheepishly and leaned closer. "I'm not very good at this kind of thing, could you teach me?"

"You don't know how?" The girl raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot, didn't I tell you? I've forgotten a lot of things. Remind me, maybe I'll remember." Lu Mingfei pleaded, clasping his hands together. "Besides, think about it, we're supposed to hide together, right? You don't want to hide the treasure separately from me, do you? That would be too distant. Don't be so heartless, please help me out~"

Xia Mi rarely saw him begging her like a spoiled child, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"Alright then, since you've begged me so much, I'll be kind enough to agree~" Her words sounded like a response to a marriage proposal.

……

"Time is limited, this size is enough." Xia Mi clapped her hands and patted Lu Mingfei's head.

"I see." Lu Mingfei exclaimed, as if he had just seen the answer to a math problem he had never solved before, "So it's that simple!"

In comparison, the ideas he remembered were more complex and not on the same level as such a simple spatial construction.

Then he couldn't help but ask, "Is this safe?"

“It’s not safe, so we need to set up a key.” Teacher Xia adjusted her non-existent glasses and began to subtly suggest something, “Come on, give me your hand.”

"Is the key my hand?" Lu Mingfei asked in horror.

"What are you talking about? We need to swear an oath first. How can we swear an oath without holding hands?" The girl suppressed her inner joy and coaxed the naive boy. "There are two important things hidden inside. Of course, they can't be opened by just anyone. We need to set a key that can only be opened by the two of us. So before that, we need to swear an oath first."

"Is there any necessary connection between these two?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Xia Mi's face flushed slightly. Of course, she couldn't say that she had been feeling jealous because she had heard him talk about some so-called "vow" between him and another girl, so she had to make amends in this regard.

How could you say such a thing?

"It's necessary. If you don't understand, don't question it. It's absolutely necessary!" She lied, trying to suppress her embarrassment.

"All right……"

“Repeat to me.” The girl turned her gaze away from his face and cleared her throat. “I will never betray my dearest… best friend.”

"Do you really think so?" Lu Mingfei squinted.

Xia Mi was already feeling flustered, and she had just hesitated for a moment, blaming herself for backing down a little at the crucial moment. In this kind of situation, she should have used "the most important person"! She was regretting it now!

"Yes!" she said defiantly, "and we must also say, 'We swear this oath to always stand together on the same side, to always be together,' say it!"

“Uh…” Lu Mingfei paused.

"Tell me quickly!" The girl beside him was almost crying, but it seemed more like she was shy. She didn't dare to turn her gaze away, but kept urging, "Tell me, tell me quickly..."

"All right……"

Lu Mingfei had no choice but to do as he was told.

Chapter 111 I'm going to repay you with my body!

"Thank God, thank God!"

This was the first time Mans had ever acted so out of character in front of others. He was usually a tough guy, the kind of man who could shoot the Dragon King while smoking a cigar even with a missing hand.

But now, he was crying like a grandson, moved that none of his students had been injured in such a dangerous battle.

Kassel's reinforcements arrived swiftly, with a new large ship arriving before the Maritime Bureau. Together with the people on the research vessel, they stuffed the two dragon carcasses into the cargo hold. These were extremely valuable research materials. Of course, there were also the stone slabs that Lu Mingfei pried off from the Bronze City, which were even more valuable. This operation was an unprecedented success, worthy of being recorded in history.

"It's a pity that the entrance gate was destroyed by this dragon, and Norton's egg was not found..." Ye Sheng sighed.

Lu Mingfei remained silent, secretly sweating profusely, afraid that his secret would be exposed.

Where was the bronze gate at the entrance destroyed by Samson? It was his doing. He didn't want anyone else to be able to break in, so he had to destroy at least the gate to the bronze city.

As for those dangerous situations, it was just that he and Xia Mi were circling around Samson underwater, creating the impression that they were in danger... In reality, Samson's death was gruesome, and he sincerely hoped that Tang wouldn't hold a grudge against him for it...

“It’s not a pity. Failure is normal in scientific research. But we have to consider whether Norton’s egg is actually in this place…” Mance said slowly, “or whether it has already emerged from its cocoon and is walking in the world… and whether there are twins on the throne. We haven’t been able to verify that either. It was clearly a good opportunity…”

Mans wasn't exactly disappointed. Compared to his students who were eager for quick success, he was a researcher who could accept failure. Although he was indeed a little disappointed, it was time to celebrate Lu Mingfei's success, and he couldn't let his disappointment affect the atmosphere.

“Yes, it’s not a pity at all.” Angers’ voice came from the loudspeaker. “We have slaughtered a dragon that is very likely a next-generation species. This is an unprecedented victory. Trust our trump card. Even if there is a greater crisis, Mingfei will definitely be able to handle it. The only thing we need to do now is to create a grand triumphant ceremony for our hero.”

Angers couldn't come to the scene and could only learn about the situation through communication. Lu Mingfei was actually a little worried that this old man, who was over 130 years old, would see through his deception, but judging from the current situation, he shouldn't have aroused any suspicion...

Lu Mingfei leaned closer and quickly reminded himself of his long-held wish, "So, Principal, about that thing I mentioned..."

To be honest, he wasn't as cautious and fearful as Xia Mi, nor was he afraid of a real falling out; at worst, he would just run away... But he knew very well that it would be difficult for him to do something as simple as finding a needle in a haystack on his own, so he was always very careful.

"Oh, oh!" Angers exclaimed hastily, sounding as if he had completely forgotten about it. "I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten, we all remember!"

"Really?" Lu Mingfei asked quietly, feeling that the old man probably hadn't taken it to heart at all. "Principal, you didn't forget everything the day after I said that, did you?"

“No, really no!” Angers explained, “Isn’t it just about finding that girl who looks exactly like Chen Motong? I remember her. It’s a bit complicated. Let’s talk about it in person when you get back. Get some rest. I’m hanging up now.”

The old man abruptly cut off contact, but his words caused a huge uproar in the cabin.

Zero stood behind Lu Mingfei the whole time, pulling him towards the cabin door, as if he had something to say. Xia Mi leaned against the door, whimpering. She was never happy to hear this. Before leaving, she deliberately tripped Lu Mingfei, but he, whose legs were already going weak, pulled her into his arms. After a three-second pause, he started breathing heavily on her head. Zero continued to walk out coldly, and so, after Lu Mingfei, Xia Mi was also dragged out.

"Oh my god, what did I just hear?" Selma tried her best to control her voice, but she couldn't control it at all. She kept pushing Chen Motong's arm, raising her eyebrows and teasingly hinting.

"I...I don't know what happened..." The girl's heart was in turmoil, pounding wildly.

She had heard Lu Mingfei say to her before, "Because I don't want to see your face smashed up," and at the time she just thought his reason wasn't good enough and that he was being too shy as a boy. But she never expected him to talk about this to the principal...

The girl felt she should talk to him and advise him not to deceive himself like this, with excuses like "finding a girl who looks exactly like Chen Motong"... What kind of excuse is that? It's so lame!

"Tsk tsk tsk, I don't think so." Selma's mocking smile became even more unrestrained.

"What?" Ye Sheng blinked blankly. "Why would Lu Mingfei want to find a girl who looks like you? Do you have any sisters or other relatives?"

"Go away and play somewhere else, this is none of your business," Selma waved her hand.

Chen Motong didn't speak, but lowered her head and used her fingers to amuse the baby.

She does have older and younger sisters, but none of them look exactly alike, not even a little bit. Almost none of her siblings share the same mother.

There is no such person in this world… she said to herself, and began to think about another question, about herself.

……

"That's great, your feelings have been discovered. You must be very happy, right? Maybe she'll even come to talk to you about it. Look, sometimes the way she looks at you is so sweet." Xia Mi whispered in Lu Mingfei's ear like a chatterbox.

Then she feigned regret: "Oh, what a pity. If it had been her who fell into the water, that girl would have been so happy to see you rushing towards her. She would definitely have offered herself to you."

"Then why don't you have one?" Lu Mingfei suddenly asked.

"I—" The girl was speechless for a long time before she could only bite the bullet and retort, "Who said I didn't? I'm so touched, I'll repay you with my body when I get back! It's okay now too!"

She glanced at someone's face out of the corner of her eye.

“No.” Zero shook his head, caught in the middle. “This kind of thing is not allowed. Offering oneself in marriage is not a good development of love. It’s vulgar.”

But what she really meant was that these things are about first come, first served, and if anyone should offer themselves in return, it should be me, not you, the one who came later.

Xia Mi was completely speechless. She couldn't even argue anymore, otherwise it would seem like she really wanted to use this opportunity to offer herself up, which would be too embarrassing! She huffed and puffed, turned around and leaned on the railing to look into the distance, but her ears were still perked up, quietly eavesdropping on what the two people on the other side were going to say.

Zero seems to have something very important to say.

Chapter 112 I Will Be With You Forever

Ling hesitated to speak, but kept glancing suggestively at the girl leaning against the railing. Or rather, she made it clear that she was holding onto Lu Mingfei's arm, trying to take him to a farther place.

“Stare…” The girl beside him had piercing eyes.

"Please don't make those anime-like sounds, okay?" Lu Mingfei said.

"What's wrong with anime?" Xia Mi said, displeased. "All the posters on your bedside table are anime-related. Are you trying to sever ties with your past self?"

"I can't accept anime girls appearing in real life; my heart would race and I'd die." Lu Mingfei could tell that she was shamelessly trying to find out what Zero wanted to say.

He turned to Zero and nodded weakly, "You should just say it directly, it's okay."

Ling hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, remaining silent for a long time, but finally opened her mouth.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, but I haven’t had the chance.” She nodded slightly, first explaining herself, then added, “If you’re looking for a red-haired girl—I can’t be sure if she looks like Chen Motong—but I think it’s most likely related to where we were back then?”

"Us?" Lu Mingfei frowned.

"You two?" Xia Mi also pinched her chin, like a detective. She sensed a secret, and this was a good opportunity to find out what the past was like between the two of them.

She kept her mouth tightly shut, squatted down against the railing to make herself less conspicuous, and listened quietly.

"Was it back then?" Lu Mingfei asked, "When we were still together?"

"Hmm." Zero didn't seem very keen on discussing this kind of issue, but she still answered honestly, "It was around that time... sometimes I would sneak out at night and wander around."

“Hey, I remember.” Lu Mingfei couldn’t help but chuckle.

In Lu Mingfei's eyes, although Ling was a pampered girl when she was young, she was by no means a well-behaved girl. The memories that still remain in his mind are a good illustration of this.

Renata was a celebrity; he knew her name even before he met her in person. He still remembered that Zero had special privileges back then, and would sneak out of the cell at night to smash the people who had bullied her during the day with falling wall plaster. She would also wander around, daring to go anywhere, including the cell he was in at the time... So it was quite normal for her to wander to a ventilation shaft and see some secrets.

With her gaze fixed downwards, she was expressing embarrassment. "Once, I was lying on the only ventilation window, looking out, and I saw a lot of... corpses."

"A corpse... what does it look like?" Lu Mingfei didn't think Zero was bringing this up for no reason. He slowly felt a chill run down his spine.