Dragon Clan: Starting with the Azure Dragon Fruit

After he squeezed the towel in his hand twice, he noticed that a menu had been placed in front of him. He picked it up casually and began to examine it curiously.

Inside the double-folded handwritten notebook were flowing Japanese cursive script, with the kana characters winding and connected together. He stared at it for a long time before he could barely make out a few kanji characters in the same form: "Kaiseki Shipin", "Shunsai Tezo", and "Kyosho".

These unfamiliar terms made Lu Mingfei realize that even if he took out all his savings, he probably wouldn't be able to afford a simple cold appetizer.

"Do you have any dietary restrictions?" Chu Zihang interrupted Lu Mingfei's thoughts.

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, fiddling with the menu in front of him. After glancing at it for a couple of times, he realized he couldn't understand it either, so he threw the menu back on the table: "No, I'll eat anything, just remember to order big portions."

"I didn't! I didn't!" Lu Mingfei, afraid of causing trouble for others, quickly waved his hand and started spouting nonsense.

"I'm so easy to feed, I'll eat anything you give me, like a starving ghost reincarnated..."

The more nervous he became, the more he talked, trying to cover up his unease with his witty remarks.

Chu Zihang ignored his lame joke and deftly confirmed several seasonal ingredients with the head chef. The head chef immediately began working in front of them.

With a swift stroke, a slice of sashimi, so thin it's almost translucent, is placed on a warm rice ball and gently pushed towards the diner.

Lu Mingfei looked around before imitating Chu Zihang and started eating.

Perhaps because of nervousness, I didn't feel particularly amazed.

Just then, a noise came from the doorway.

A young male voice came from behind the screen in the entryway. The voice seemed to be deliberately lowered, but it still had a hint of showing off: "Let me tell you, this restaurant is super hard to book. I only managed to get a table for the weekend because of my dad's friend."

Upon hearing this voice, Lu Mingfei instinctively felt a rush of shortness of breath.

At Shilan High School, there was only one person who could elicit this reaction from him.

Zhao Menghua was the most popular person in the class.

Chapter 25 Why don't you sit over here and join us?

If Chu Zihang is a legendary figure at Shilan Middle School, then Zhao Menghua is the undisputed "local tyrant" of their class.

He's handsome, generous, and always has a protagonist aura wherever he goes. He often makes fun of losers like Lu Mingfei to make himself look better.

To be fair, he certainly had the right to show off.

While other high school boys his age are saving up their allowance for half a month to treat their crush to Pizza Hut, or thinking that taking a girl to a roadside barbecue is impressive, he can already take girls to private Japanese restaurants where the average cost is four figures per person.

The waiter seemed worried about disturbing Lin Yuan and the others' meal, so he led the two of them past from the other side.

"This way, gentlemen."

Zhao Menghua slightly raised his chin. He had clearly dressed up carefully today. At an age when most high school boys would only wear T-shirts with anime characters, he wore a well-tailored light blue casual shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, revealing a bright silver Tissot watch. His hair was styled with hair wax.

His "mature" outfit was originally intended to match the upscale restaurant's ambiance and make a good impression on the girl, but when he followed the waiter's gesture, his smile froze.

The waiter led them to a dimly lit corner. The space was somewhat cramped, with two chairs placed close together, and even the overhead light was dimmer than elsewhere.

Zhao Menghua stopped in his tracks, looked at the narrow table in front of him, and his expression changed repeatedly.

He opened his mouth, about to say something to make amends, when a soft female voice came from the side, taking the initiative to save face for him: "It's nice here, very quiet."

Lu Mingfei recognized the voice as Chen Wenwen's.

It was like a bucket of ice water being poured over my head. It turned out that she had said she "made an appointment with a friend," and that friend was Zhao Menghua.

The two of them went out shopping alone on the weekend and ended up eating at this private restaurant.

He didn't dare turn around; he even wished he could shrink his head into his chest.

In this world belonging to the wealthy, his deep-seated inferiority complex was amplified to an extreme degree. He was terrified that the other person would come over and discover that he, a loser who couldn't even recognize all the menu items, was shamelessly mooching off someone else's lavish meal.

With Chen Wenwen offering him a way out, Zhao Menghua coughed lightly, pulled out a chair for Chen Wenwen to sit down, and then sat down himself.

After sitting down, he didn't forget to straighten his shirt collar, trying to regain his composure before opening the standard menu on the table.

He paused slightly on the composure of his lips as he looked at the first page, noticing that all the items listed were priced at over five hundred.

It's true that his family is well-off, but he's still just a high school student who hasn't reached adulthood yet. He has a limited allowance each month, and if he really lets loose, he might even have to give up his New Year's money.

Zhao Menghua subtly adjusted his posture, pointed to the reasonably priced nigiri and sashimi on the menu, and said gently, "The specialty here is actually these white-fleshed fish, which are meant to be enjoyed for their natural sweetness. The fatty ones have too much fat and become greasy after a couple of bites; I doubt you'd like them."

Chen Wenwen nodded obediently, looking as if she was completely at his mercy.

Right in the center of the bar.

The head chef was slightly bent over, gently pushing a piece of pink sashimi covered with snowflake-like fat texture onto the ceramic plate in front of Lu Mingfei.

"Guests, this is a bluefin tuna belly that was just air-freighted from Nagasaki this morning." The head chef proudly introduced his masterpiece in accented Chinese.

"Its fat marbling is the best it's had this month. It doesn't require much chewing, it melts in your mouth, and you can savor the sweet aftertaste of the fat. Please enjoy."

Lu Mingfei mechanically picked up his chopsticks, grabbed the expensive piece of fish, and stuffed it into his mouth.

He couldn't taste anything that melted in his mouth or the sweetness of oil.

Mixed with a bitter taste surging in his heart, this top-quality belly, which the chef had praised to the skies, tasted like cardboard in his mouth.

He swallowed slowly, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

The head chef had been watching the guest sitting in front of him closely. Seeing his expression of difficulty swallowing, he couldn't help but whisper something to his apprentice in Japanese. Then, somewhat nervously, he leaned down and asked, "Sir, is it that today's ingredients are not prepared to your liking?"

Lu Mingfei was most afraid of being stared at in such high-class settings, so he quickly waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly: "Ah? No, no, it's fine, it's my own problem..."

Perhaps due to nervousness, Lu Mingfei forgot to control his volume, and his flustered and ingratiating voice sounded particularly clear in the quiet shop.

Zhao Menghua, sitting in the corner, was pretending to sip tea when he heard the sound, and his cup stopped in mid-air.

He recognized that voice all too well. It was that loser in class whom he always bullied.

Zhao Menghua subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, and Chen Wenwen also turned her head to the side.

At the central bar of the restaurant, a young man in an old T-shirt with messy hair was blushing with embarrassment as the chef asked him a question.

Zhao Menghua's smile froze. Chen Wenwen's mouth also opened slightly.

"Lu Mingfei?" Zhao Menghua blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief.

Lu Mingfei realized he couldn't avoid it any longer.

Like a thief caught red-handed, he stiffly turned his head and saw the two people sitting in the corner.

Zhao Menghua didn't look at Lu Mingfei, but stared at the plate of top-grade tuna belly in front of him, which he had just criticized as "too greasy" and "not recommended." Thinking of his own two rather meager plates of white fish, he felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

He simply couldn't understand why this loser, who usually even missed paying his class fees, would be sitting so arrogantly in the most prestigious position.

The two stood a few meters apart, caught in an awkward silence. Neither greeted the other.

During the stalemate, Chu Zihang, who was standing to the side, seemed to notice something and turned his head.

His handsome face was revealed along Lu Mingfei's shoulder.

Zhao Menghua's mind went blank. Chu Zihang, a legendary figure at Shilan Middle School, was actually having dinner with Lu Mingfei.

Chu Zihang saw Zhao Menghua and Chen Wenwen clearly, and after a moment's thought, he understood what was going on. He took two steps forward and walked over.

"I've booked the entire area in front of the board today," Chu Zihang explained.

"They're all Lu Mingfei's friends, why don't you come sit down with us?"

He genuinely remembered Lu Mingfei's earlier disappointment, and this invitation was heartfelt; he didn't see it as charity at all.

But to Zhao Menghua, those words were like a series of resounding slaps across the face.

He had just been calculating the cost of ordering food, while this person casually booked a whole row of the best seats; the person who extended the invitation was a popular figure on campus whom he usually couldn't even get a word in edgewise; and Lu Mingfei, who was usually used to highlight him in class, was now Chu Zihang's honored guest.

In front of this loser he looked down on the most, his feigned maturity and extravagance became a complete joke.

Zhao Menghua couldn't stand this insult.

If he were to actually sit down there, it would be tantamount to admitting to Chen Wenwen that he was shorter than Lu Mingfei.

His face turned pale and then flushed, and finally, to maintain a semblance of dignity, he gave a dry laugh: "No need, Senior Brother Chu. I suddenly remembered I have some things to take care of at home, so I'll skip the meal. Wenwen, let's go."

He grumbled and tugged at Chen Wenwen's sleeve before turning and walking away.

As Chen Wenwen was being led by him, she glanced at Lu Mingfei as they passed by.

There was a hint of apology in his eyes, or perhaps some other complex emotion, which was hard to discern in the dim light.

From beginning to end, Chu Zihang only extended a well-intentioned invitation; it was Zhao Menghua who took it personally and broke down.

Lu Mingfei, sitting in the main seat, stood there dumbfounded.

My mind was filled with the image of Chen Wenwen being pulled away by Zhao Menghua.

Lin Yuan, who was standing to the side, paid no attention to the youth campus drama that had just taken place; he was focused on finishing the plates lined up in front of him.

Sea urchin, botan shrimp, thick-cut Wagyu beef—he accepts anything the chef serves.

While their eating manners weren't exactly rude, their efficiency was astonishing.

He was also somewhat surprised. Perhaps it was the change brought about by the revival of the Azure Dragon Fruit within him, but he found that his appetite was no less than when he was in the pirate world.

"What, you can't eat anymore?" Lin Yuan swallowed the food in his mouth and pushed a plate of freshly grilled conger eel in front of Lu Mingfei.

"Boss Chu has booked the whole place today, and you're still standing here in a daze. Eat some more."

Chu Zihang raised his hand at the opportune moment, pointing to several signature dishes on the menu, signaling the head chef to continue.

Lu Mingfei glanced at the stack of plates next to Lin Yuan, then at Chu Zihang, who had no expression on his face.

The sour feeling in my stomach seemed to have lessened a bit, for some reason.

He gritted his teeth, grabbed his chopsticks, and joined the fray.

Brother Yuan is right. It's a rare treat to come to such a high-class restaurant. If we don't have a good meal, we'll be letting Boss Chu down.

Turning grief and anger into appetite is one of the few ways a loser can find solace.

Soon, the chef went from being completely at ease at the beginning, occasionally introducing the ingredients with the pride of an artisan, to later being covered in sweat, his knife almost leaving afterimages as he cut the fish.

Lin Yuan was like a black hole that could never be filled, and Lu Mingfei was also stuffing food into his mouth in a fit of pique. Even with the two apprentices involved, they couldn't keep up with their liquidation speed at all.

It wasn't until Lin Yuan finished the last bite of the tuna and minced meat rice bowl and looked up at the chef, intending to order two more servings of sea urchin, that things started to get interesting.

The chef from Tokyo picked up a towel, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and bowed apologetically across the bar.

"I'm so sorry, guests..." he said, a hint of relief in his voice.

"We've used up all the premium ingredients we prepared today, so we really can't serve any more dishes."

Lu Mingfei cooperated by letting out a long, satisfying burp, then slumped back in his chair, his belly forming a noticeable curve.

Lin Yuan put down his chopsticks, still somewhat unsatisfied, and wiped his hands with a hot towel.

"Your cooking is quite good. I'd like to come back and learn from your skills again sometime."

Empty plates were stacked high on the table.

Chapter 26 Talent

Early in the morning, the breakfast stalls at the entrance of Taoyuan Community were steaming with white vapor, and the aroma of fried dough sticks wafted for miles on the wind.

In this old, dilapidated apartment, where even migrant workers from other provinces are rarely seen, a woman who seemed out of place in her surroundings arrived today.

Miranda wore a fitted Burberry classic khaki trench coat, with the belt casually knotted, highlighting her amazing waist-to-hip ratio.

She wore a pair of Tom Frod brown sunglasses on her nose. The oversized frames did not obscure her deep and three-dimensional features; instead, they made her skin appear even whiter. Her dazzling blonde hair was casually draped over her shoulders, standing out in the morning light. She wore a pair of black Prada ankle boots with laces.

Ignoring the curious stares around her, she glanced down at the envelope in her hand and muttered to herself.

"Those old guys at the academy are really keen on the potential A-level talents. From the time we first met until now, it's only been four days, but they've already expedited the passport and visa process. And they even made me hand them over to them personally."

"Those C-level salted fish really have no human rights," she sighed and walked into Lin Yuan's building.

dong dong dong.

There was no response from inside. Miranda waited a few seconds, then knocked again with more force, but still no one answered.

She frowned, took out her phone from her pocket, and checked the address again. It was indeed the right place.

"Where can we go so early in the morning?"

She glanced down at her watch, her slender eyebrows furrowing. Just as she was wondering whether to contact the college to check the nearby surveillance footage, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the corner of the stairs.

Miranda turned her head and saw Lin Yuan coming up the stairs.

His short-sleeved shirt was completely soaked, the fabric clinging tightly to his body, revealing glimpses of his muscles. Wisps of white steam rose from his shoulders and head, and with each breath, a wave of heat, like that of a boiler, mixed with the smell of sweat, made Miranda gasp for breath in the narrow stairwell.