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Once the truth is spoken out, it loses its purpose. Lu Mingfei knew that he could not lose his purpose.
He still has a lot to do.
"You should know that EVA has issued an executive mission to all specialists in Japan. This is the largest group mission that Kassel Academy has undertaken in recent years." Zero said.
The executive department of Kassel College was born out of the hunting team of the secret party. Normally, they are just a secret force operating in the dark. But now, this violent organization that obeys both the board of directors and the principal has completely awakened.
Professor Schneider, President Ange, and a few other school directors including Mr. Frost have already appeared in Japan. Even those powerful elders who have been active in the dragon-slaying battlefield for hundreds of years have a tendency to go to Japan.
Such a big move means that the war between Kassel Academy and the entire Japanese mixed-blood race has begun.
Eva's task for the commissioners in Japan and the combat-capable undergraduates was to gather nearby and carry out a devastating cleanup of the nearby Sheqi Eight Family and Menggui Clan's residences in small groups. Fortunately, the influence of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was not limited to the general society of ordinary people. It also had a huge impact on the half-blood black-bellied elements of Kassel College, which had been reorganized from the Secret Party. The violent maniacs headed by the principal conducted a profound review and reflection on their past actions, and added many regulations to protect human rights in the action plan against the hostile half-bloods.
The most important rule is "do not use words or lethal weapons before your life is threatened." Although the Snake Eight Clan and the Oni Clan are all crazy people, most of them are still afraid of Ange, so they are not so brave to kill him when facing the attack on the academy.
This saved many lives.
"According to the mission instructions, we should be assigned to the same temporary team and, under the leadership of the person with the highest bloodline authority in this team, clear out the members of the Snake Eight Families and the Menggui Clan in this vicinity." Ling said.
"The holographic map Eva sent us did not mark any valuable targets." Lu Mingfei said, "And my authority is S-level. I have the right to refuse to carry out ordinary tasks of the Execution Department, and I also have the right to help you refuse to carry out the tasks."
Zero nodded.
S-level is a special privileged class in Kassel College. Historically, students who have reached S-level authority due to their bloodline have always been an important political force in the college during their undergraduate studies. Sometimes, what these people say is even more effective than that of the board of directors.
"Are you planning to send Eri out of Japan before Christmas?" Zero suddenly asked.
Lu Mingfei's fingers trembled unexpectedly, and the coffee in the cup spilled out.
"As expected of science students who graduated from the Department of Alchemy and Mechanics, you and Chu Zihang both have terribly strange brain circuits."
Lu Mingfei sighed, "Not just Eri, everyone who comes to Hokkaido this time, except me, must leave Japan before Christmas."
"You made the decision for me?" Sitting in front of the campfire and drinking hot coffee, Ling felt that the coldness in her body had been dispelled a little. But she didn't know whether this feeling was because of the warmth of the fire and coffee, or because Lu Mingfei didn't forget to bring her a gift.
She opened the collar of her coat, and Lu Mingfei saw that the girl was only wearing a white velvet low-necked T-shirt under her coat. Under the T-shirt, she was probably wearing the beautiful swimsuit that almost gave Lu Mingfei a nosebleed.
Although Ling is not tall, he is well-developed and has cold white skin. At this moment, he is braiding his blonde hair, which is so light in color that it is almost pure white, and then tying it into a bun on top of his head.
She tilted her long neck, her whole body as plain as an ice sculpture, and was looking at Lu Mingfei coldly.
"I would be very worried if you stayed in Japan."
"Am I also among the people you are worried about?"
"Yeah." Lu Mingfei nodded and said seriously, "No one has ever been nice to me before, but you are the only one who is nice to me."
"I will treat you well in the future." Lingye nodded. She placed her hand on Lu Mingfei's chest, as if she was signing a contract. "So you must survive."
"Okay." Lu Mingfei pressed the slightly cold and soft hand against his heart, and the contract was successfully concluded.
The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed for no reason.
After the laughter was over, Ling asked again: "You are going to send us away on Henkel's ship, right?"
Lu Mingfei was choked.
Except for Nono, no one else probably knows how Lu Mingfei's plan to send Eri out of Japan should be implemented.
The fewer people who know, the lower the risk of exposure.
It’s not that Lu Mingfei doesn’t trust the people around him, but since even God can become their enemy, then what else is impossible?
"Don't get me wrong. The business dealings between the Henkel family and the Romanov family are very frequent. The leader of the North American mixed-race knows that you and I are together, and he has invited us to attend the party in Sapporo tomorrow night." Zero hesitated.
"It should be a business dance. If you want, we can go together. If not..."
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" Lu Mingfei tilted his head to look into the girl's eyes.
There was no expression in those eyes, but they were sparkling.
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“It feels like being in Chicago.”
As he said this, Lu Mingfei looked back at the corridor he passed through when he entered this luxurious hotel.
At the end of the corridor is the dim skylight and the towering gray walls of skyscrapers on both sides of the road. The surface of the limestone is peeling like the hair of an old man eroded by time.
The rusty steel street lamps stand under the buildings, like old but loyal guards firmly defending the glory of the city.
It is indeed like Chicago's Pennsylvania Road that has fallen into decline after its golden age. At the end of that road is the Chicago Opera House, and at the end of this road is the low-key yet luxurious Sapporo Keio Hotel hidden in a corner of the city. It is a sister property of the Sapporo Keio Plaza Hotel in the city center, and both are assets of Henkel.
Hokkaido is a barren land. The Snake Eight Clan and the Demon Clan are unwilling to come here, so the North American hybrids took advantage of it.
The North American hybrids, who were more like businessmen than warriors, had been active in this generation since the 1970s and once controlled the largest coal mines on the Pacific Coast. But now those mines have been abandoned, leaving only bare railroad tracks and huge, desolate mines.
Lu Mingfei said this place was like Chicago because he didn't even see a single Japanese person nearby. They were all white-skinned, blue-eyed or gray-eyed Anglo-Germans. On the contrary, Lu Mingfei with his East Asian face and Ling, a petite Slavic girl, seemed a bit out of place.
"Because Henkel's home is in Chicago, so wherever he goes, he decorates the place to look like Chicago." Ling was standing next to Lu Mingfei.
She was wearing a crimson silk evening gown with thin straps. The hem of the skirt covered her feet. Long silk gloves of the same color covered her upper arms, and on her slender wrists she wore an elegant watch with a thin chain.
In order to attend this ball that may involve billions of dollars of business, Ling dressed up and even wore ten-centimeter stiletto heels. Although she was still cute and lovely like a snuggling bird when walking beside Lu Mingfei, the aura of the queen had already begun to spread outward.
Lu Mingfei took the princess' arm and glanced around casually.
Hen Gao also told him that he wanted to hold a dance here. Firstly, it would allow the outstanding North American talents to get to know the most outstanding young people of the time. Secondly, there were some things he wanted to ask Lu Mingfei in person.
So even if Ling hadn't invited him to come, Lu Mingfei would have come over.
The decoration of this hotel is luxurious. The light green tulip-patterned carpet covers every inch of the floor. The walls are hung with original works of world-famous painters. There are even marble statues standing on both sides of the corridor. They are all world-class politicians, from China, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom...
A magnificent crystal chandelier hangs from the fifty-foot-high dome, like an inverted crystal pagoda.
As soon as he was led into the ballroom, Lu Mingfei immediately confirmed that this was indeed Hen Gao's work.
The flow of people with fragrant clothes and beautiful hair is endless.
The waiters were dressed in black evening gowns, spoke standard English, French and Chinese, and moved lightly through the crowd like nimble fish. In the middle of the dance floor, an old-fashioned-looking jazz band was playing a lazy romance.
A hunchbacked old man noticed that Lu Mingfei and Ling had entered the main venue, and immediately came over with a smile on his face.
"Long time no see, Mr. Henkel!" Lu Mingfei hugged the old man warmly.
Chapter 383 Zero: I Like You
"About the ship and..."
"Let's talk about it in detail after the dance. Who would do such boring things at this time? We are still young and have plenty of time that can be exchanged for Faust's devil to buy countless gold, so never show your eagerness on your face!" Han Gao pressed the cowboy hat that seemed to never leave his body against his chest, nodded slightly to Ling, and then greeted Lu Mingfei.
Ling's grip on Lu Mingfei's arm suddenly increased. Although the girl had no expression on her face, there was a fleeting smile on her cold little face.
"I am very grateful that the Henkel family is willing to respond to my call." Lu Mingfei nodded.
He carefully looked at the old man in front of him, whose calcium loss was so severe that his spine was bent. In comparison, Angers looked fifty years younger than Henkel.
It is hard to imagine that they were actually people from the same era. Even a hundred years ago, Henrik almost killed Angers.
After entering Kassel Academy, everyone told Lu Mingfei that their principal Hilbert Jean Ange was the greatest dragon slayer in the world. His achievements could be compared to those of St. George 1,800 years ago, and 3,200 years ago, he could even be compared to Dayi who killed nine pure-blooded people in the Eastern legend. If there was someone in the world who could completely end the era of dragons, there would be no other choice except Ange.
But Lu Mingfei knew very well that even Angers would never expose his back to Han Gao. He was a proud and powerful warrior. If he didn't do so, it must be because he had suffered a great loss in this matter.
In the depressed yet vibrant American West in the early 20th century, Angers and Henkel had a legendary duel. The outcome of the duel is unknown, but Angers told Lu Mingfei that he did not win.
Since he didn't win, he lost. It's really hard to imagine that a hundred years ago, Han Gao was able to defeat Angers, a man who could make the whole of Japan dare not raise their heads for decades with his own strength. But today he is already very old and has difficulty even standing up straight.
And a hundred years later, the man who had been defeated by him was still active on the front line of dragon slaying. The flame of revenge in his chest was still burning, and he even wished to burn every world of the dragon clan to ashes.
"You are a very nice young man, and my children and I owe you a huge favor." Henkel smiled.
"A big favor?"
"Don't underestimate the value that a second-generation species can bring to us. There are only dozens of princes recorded in the entire history of the dragon race. In the ancient era of gods, Samson even ruled over a vast area of more than 100,000 square kilometers along the Red Sea. Before that, we fought with the dragon race for thousands of years. In thousands of years, no one has ever brought the prince's body out of the burial ground. You are the only one. We can use the purest blood to refine alchemical potions that can strengthen bloodlines, and we can also explore the deepest secrets of this ancient species through the analysis of dragon DNA."
Han Gao glanced at his pocket watch and waved to the man not far away.
Then a handsome waiter in a tuxedo, holding a silver tray, trotted over to Lu Mingfei and Ling.
Henkel raised a glass of champagne from the silver tray, and Lu Mingfei did the same. The two smiled at each other and then drank it all in one gulp.
"You probably don't know that the respected Beowulf family was able to pass down the title of Dragonblood Eater because they stored the remains of a prince whose activity had not yet completely faded in a secret ice cellar. Every generation of Beowulf swallowed the poisonous dragon blood crystals at birth. They withstood the impact of those manic forces and gained a powerful body comparable to that of those who received the golden holy syrup. We and Kassel Academy once wanted to pay a high price to obtain a very small amount of second-generation gene samples from Beowulf's family, but were rejected. The Samson corpse you provided filled this gap in the research of North American hybrids and Kassel Academy."
The old man's expression was so kind that it was hard to tell that he was once a tough guy who had left a great reputation among the degenerate half-bloods in the American West. Han Gao put the cup back on the tray and patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder.
"Besides, you carry the hope of this era. Ange always says that I am a shameless businessman, but a businessman may have been a chivalrous cowboy before becoming a businessman!"
Han Gao paced away. Ling held Lu Mingfei's arm and quietly watched the old man's hunched and swaying back with Lu Mingfei. As he walked away, groups of men in black immediately appeared from the shadows or corners.
These men had bulges around their waists, obviously hiding dangerous weapons.
Even though Henkel and the North American hybrids it represents have been operating in Hokkaido for decades, these businessmen who are very powerful in the business world and even control the lifeline of certain national development banks are still not confident about their safety when operating in Japan.
"You are the center of attention here tonight, even though our attendance at this event was just a last-minute decision." Zero said calmly, "Why didn't you bring me a glass of champagne just now?"
"Children can't drink alcohol." Lu Mingfei said, and then he saw the girl next to him looking at him with a murderous look. He smiled awkwardly and shut up.
However, Lu Mingfei did not refute Ling's words.
Just as Her Royal Highness the Princess said, they are the center of attention tonight, with clouds and swords blazing all around them. But even if you are Mei Chaofeng, Lu Xiaofeng, Dugu Qiubai, or you are invincible, you still have to put away your swords and put on a flattering smile in front of the boy and girl who have been silent since Han Gao left.
If you look carefully, you will find that everyone's eyes will pass by Lu Mingfei and Ling's position intentionally or unintentionally, and then quickly look away.
The lights did not shine on them, but they seemed to be bathed in a majestic glow and no one could ignore them.
Lu Mingfei would respond to those looks of scrutiny and awe. His name was not only spread within the system of Kassel Academy, but there were few mixed-race people in the world who did not recognize his face.
Ling's cold little face remained indifferent, her back was straight, and her platinum pupils swept around without lingering on anyone's face, as if Catherine was examining her own subjects.
She was just like a lone queen sitting at the entrance of a palace, with the hazy sky behind her. Majestic murderous intent flowed casually from her slender wrists, her dazzling platinum hair, and even her fair face.
The little devil Lu Mingze once told Lu Mingfei that in a closed space, where the person who holds power is, the center of that space is there.
But he suddenly had a strange feeling that even if he was not here today, the girl next to him would still be the one who held absolute power in this dance.
It seems that the noble Romanov family is definitely an unshakable ancient behemoth in the vast Russia. Even the North American mixed-races far away on the other side of the Pacific Ocean will express awe to Zero, who represents this family.
Lu Mingfei didn't think any more and turned his gaze towards the bustling dance floor.
The young and pretty girls on the dance floor have their skirts flying, their slender heels stepping on the shiny marble floor, and their calves stretching out in graceful curves.
The men were well dressed, all in black tailcoats and evening gowns, their collars open to reveal their luxuriously embroidered white shirts, with thorny family crests pinned to their chests. Some held lit cigars between their fingers, and the smoke from the cigars seemed to be stagnant in the air, kneaded into abstract devil images by the wind brought by the waiters as they walked.
In just a few months, Japan, a country that was once unknown in the mixed-race society, has become the center of a vortex that could sweep the entire world.
No wonder Lu Mingfei did not see many North American mixed-race forces and organizations in Tokyo, nor did he see anyone from Henkel participating in the various activities organized by the academy.