Scene 5: Dragon’s Shadow (3)

Professor Guderian came up and shook hands with him. “Principal Scholarship! This is the greatest honour of the college. Mingfei, I have always had confidence in you!”

Lu Mingfei was a little confused. When Nuo Nuo tapped him, he didn’t understand her expression. In a word, it was not a happy expression. It was cold. “S” level offended Nuo Nuo?

When the students came out of the library, the church bell rang.

Lu Mingfei thought it’s strange that he had been in the college for several days, but the church bell never rang at all. Now the clock was swing, again and again, the deep bell had rung for a long time, like a stubborn old man.

Everyone stood up, looked up at the direction of the bell tower, where a large group of white pigeons came out, singing and hovering. Finally, the sky on the lawn was covered with white feathers of pigeons. Caesar held out his hand to the sky, a pigeon fell on his finger. Then all the pigeons landed on the lawn, not looking for food, but cooing, which sounded a little sad.

The laughing students had become silent. Caesar pulled a white scarf out of his uniform pocket and tied it on the fence beside the lawn. Other students did the same. The fence was now like a tree with white flowers.

Lu Mingfei was at a loss to hear someone behind him, “Somebody left us.”

He turned his head and saw Chu Zihang’s pale golden pupils. The president of the Lionheart Association somehow took the initiative to talk to him.

“Every time someone leaves us, pigeons fly out of the church. It’s mourning.” Chu Zihang looked at the lawn and said softly.

Lu Mingfei, himself, is an “S” level, Chu Zihang is an “A” level, but speaking to such student leaders, Lu Mingfei just feels like a little brother who nods vigorously.

Chu Zihang patted the shoulder of Lu Mingfei and smiled faintly. “Thank you. If you hadn’t worked out that map, more people would have left us.”

Lu Mingfei never thought Chu Zihang would smile. At any time, Chu Zihang always has an expressionless face, even when he was shot down by Lu Mingfei. His expression is different from Caesar’s indifference. Caesar was proud and Chu Zihang was just indifferent to everything. But now he was smiling, gentle as a brother.

“Is your brother okay?” Chu Zihang asked.

“Oh… he’s fine,” said Lu Mingfei. “He admires you very much.”

Chu Zihang still laughed, very polite, but not that happy.

“You’re not afraid to look at me, are you?” Chu Zihang said again.

“No.”

“That’s good. To tell the truth, I can’t see many eyes, others do not like me staring them.”

Lu Mingfei suddenly understood why Chu Zihang always drooped his eyes and showed no expression, because those golden pupils that never extinguished would make others uncontrollably afraid, and he was avoiding others’ sight. At this moment, the golden pupils were completely opened to Lu Mingfei, showing a strange beauty.

“This is my formal invitation. Please join the Lionheart.” Chu Zihang said, “You will be the next president after me, I promise.”

“Why?” Lu Mingfei was stunned.

“Because the person who can take over from me must be the person who can rival me!” Chu Zihang said.

Lu Mingfei bowed his head and grabbed his back neck. This is the second invitation he received today. In the library, Kieran has indicated that as acting chairman of the freshmen’s fraternity, he has finally found a suitable chairman, Lu Mingfei, which bluffed Lu Mingfei to shake his hands.

The chairman position of the freshmen’s fraternity is suitable for him, although he can’t fight, he can rely on his “S” level. But the president of Lionheart… Is that a big joke? The Lionheart Association is the oldest community in Cassel College, and its leader is something that Caesar coveted for a long time. Caesar joined the Student Union only because of his predecessor, the Lionheart president before, did not like Caesar’s pride. How can he get something that even Caesar can’t get?

He would like to say some stupid word sincerely like it is not easy for you to give up the position of emperor and give it to me! But he didn’t dare to say that crap. Chu Zihang looked directly into his eyes, his expression was indifferent but serious, like a young and promising king, and every word he said was taken seriously.

“Caesar also expects you to join the student union. If you choose the student union, that’s fine.” Chu Zihang said lightly, “I will be happy to be a friend or an opponent of yours.”

He lowered his eyes, patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder, and turned away.

Lu Mingfei stood in his place for a long time, and finally got a breath of cold sweat all over his body. What is it called “I’m happy to be a friend or an opponent of yours?” Is that a threat? Is it a naked threat? Can threats be spoken in such a calm tone? It’s like a girl squinting and smiling and saying, “I would rather kill you if I can’t love you!”

In the Three Gorges Reservoir, the black helicopter hovered over the lock, and on the undulating surface of the water, Moniaher turned over to reveal its belly of the ship. When it fell into the water, it overturned and the parts above the draft line were immersed in the cold river. The helicopter lowered the ladder and a slender dark shadow took it down. He was holding a black umbrella against the rain with his back to the light.

Maans looked up at the shadow with difficulty and grinned with the wet cigar. “Mr. Angers.”

The baby in his arms was crying loudly, no other voices except for endless storms. His closest friends were floating in the cold river, the young intern Selma never had a chance to receive her full mark. In the instant of felling, the third mate held “the key” in his arms to block the impact with his bodies, which broke his spines.

Principal Angers went to Maans and squatted down, got his lighter to light Maans’s cigar, then examined the wound in his waist, where a yellow tooth pierced. In the violent explosion, a long tooth broke and flew out. The “Undusted” didn’t block it.

“If it goes a little further up, I won’t be able to wait till you come.” Maans sucked his cigar deeply.

Principal Angers pressed Maans’s wound. “Don’t talk, the doctor will come down at once.”

Although the principal is very old, his hands were still warm and powerful. Maans felt life slightly flowing back into his body and grinned: “Doctors are useless. Let me finish my final report, just like the heroes in the movie.”

“Yes, the doctor is useless. There is a poison in the dragon’s teeth. The poison is eroding your nervous system. We can’t save it.” The principal nodded. “Let’s start right away.”

Maans handed the baby to the principle. On the other hand, he held on to a rope all the time and did not loosen it when he passed out. He also handed it to the principal. The principal pulled a rope and lifted the copper jar from the sinking water, stroked the fine lines on the surface and read in a low voice.

“I think I killed Norton the Dragon King. This copper pot was brought out by Ye Sheng and Aki Shutoku from the bronze palace. I don’t know what’s in it, but Norton wants to take it back. It should be of great research significance; we should search the skeleton of the dragon upstream of the reservoir and perhaps we’ll have time to extract its DNA. There’s nothing else. I know I have an insurance policy to airlift my body back to Germany…” Maans insisted that in the end, his physical strength can’t hold anymore.

“It’s not Norton the Dragon King, but a servant, a warrior who serves as a dragon servant and guards the Dragon King’s soul.” The principal said, “This copper jar is a bone reproduction bottle, or ‘the egg’. The words on it are: ‘Give my blood to the great Majesty Nidhogg, who is the existence of supreme, strength virtue, who rules the whole world with fate’. What inside is Norton!”

“Is he hiding behind Gongsun Shu?” Maans asked.

“We’ll know after we’ve learned it. When we get the answer, should we engrave it on your tombstone?” The principal said.

“No, just carve my wife’s name,” Maans said. “Don’t tell the students that the whole Kui Men Operations Group has been destroyed, it’s a long way for them. They shouldn’t be sad for us, they should still think that slaughtering dragons is a fun and bloody thing and worth fighting for their whole life.” Maans whispered, “That will be good.”

“I didn’t say that. They only knew that Ye Sheng and Aki had left us. I acted calmly.” The principal said, “I just don’t know how to get rid of this lie when I get back to school. What about the course of yours? You still have classes this semester.”

“Schneider then, he wants to continue to be a professor.” Maans puffed a cigarette through his nostrils. “Let’s just say we’re going on a new mission. Anyway, the world is big and there are dragon relics everywhere. They can always say they’re busy with new adventures. In a few years, it doesn’t matter whether it’s public or not.”

“Okay, just as you said.”

“Goodbye, please say Hi to Nuo Nuo. It’s time for her to change her mentor.” As the cigar fell into the water, Maans slowly closed his eyes.

The principal pulled out the blooming rose from his chest and put it on Maans’ chest. He stood up with the crying baby in his arms. Lights poured in from all sides, searchlights shot on the principal, and military and police cars surrounded the banks of the river. The old man rose silently and patted the baby on the face, put his little head into his arms, and covered himself with the black umbrella.

“So bigone!” Professor Manstein said softly. He was on the second floor of the library, watching the students disperse downstairs, leaving only white scarves tied up in the fence.

“Bigone?” Professor Guderian was stunned.

“Chinese dialect means silence.” Manstein took off his glasses and felt deep, “In the new semester, some people have left us. The freshmen have not yet grown up, but we are old again. It makes people feel bigone.”

“Yes, really bigone.” Guderian also lamented, “One thing I’m curious about is that before you know Lu Mingfei’s 3E exam results, you didn’t doubt him anymore. I heard you’re even betting on the Internet that he will pass. What are you hiding from me?”

“I won’t hide it from you. Aren’t we good friends from the same psychiatric hospital?” Manstein shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s a strange statement…”

“That’s the truth. I dispelled my doubts about Lu Mingfei.” Manstein pointed to the belfry in the distance. “Because I called my father and he said that he was the best descendant of dragons.”

“The Watchman said that?” Guderian marvelled.

“Yes, but there’s no explanation.”

Professor Guderian looked at the clock tower, which was never open. “It’s always hard for me to associate the Watchman with your father. You don’t look like you should have a father.”

“He made my life and my mother’s life so bad so that I had no childhood at all. I could not tell we have affection… But to speak of the dragon slayer, he is probably the only person in the world who can be compared with the principal!” Manstein said, “There are some things I still believe in, at least… Thanks to his instruction, I won a big one in the lottery.”

Lu Mingfei was lying in bed, listening to the sound of paper flipping from the upper bunk, rang again and again, back and forth endless.

“Hello, Mr. Loser.” Lu Mingfei said.

“I’m busy. Shut up if there’s nothing important.” Fingel was rarely serious.

“Is it just reading? Can’t you talk? Speaking will kill you?” Lu Mingfei said.

“What’s important about reading?” The upper bunk continued to rattle.

Lu Mingfei looked up to glance. “Hello! Can you be more ridiculous?”

The upper bunk was piled with bills. Fingel was counting money in piles, with a Le Pere Goriot smile on his face. Every stack was torn from his so-called favourite philosophy book and tied up with a page of the book.

“Honesty, I won them but not a bank robbery.” Fingel said, “I knew you were gifted, you lucky little prince! You will bring me good luck! If Manstein didn’t take my part, I would have won more.”

“The name of the lucky little prince is so disgusting! Hey, I’m not sure about something. Do you have time to explain it?” Lu Mingfei said.

“If you have a cream soup, the Yellow Pages of Cassel College will provide you with the most comprehensive answer service,” Fingel patted his chest. “Which’s me.”

“Robbers!” Lu Mingfei grabbed the phone. “Two crispy cream soups! I want a big cheesecake too!”

Fingel clapped his hands.

“Somebody… Dead? ” Lu Mingfei asked.

“Actually the death list has been published, Executive Department, Ye Sheng, Aki Shutoku.” Fingel said, “You can look at the message board.”

Lu Mingfei was silent, and he remembered Aki smiling and correcting his pronunciation and saying, “おはよう.” Why did they suddenly die?

“Don’t worry too much. The Executive Department is not necessarily that dangerous. Most of the time, they fly around the world like a group of archaeologists, exploring the dragon relics. In the past ten years, it seems that only a few accidents occurred when the grave collapsed and people died. This is a special case.” Fingel said, “Bronze City is the palace of Norton, the Dragon King, which’s a highly dangerous dragon tomb. There is a legend that at least one must die in a group of people who enter the tomb, which is a sacrifice. But the mission of entering the dragon tomb is confidential, nobody knows all, so it’s just a legend.”

“Did you ever worry about death?” Lu Mingfei asked.

Fingel said, “Are you worried about eating caterpillars in hamburgers?”

“Of course!”

“Of course I’m worried about death. Isn’t that everyone’s normal reaction?” Fingel shrugged. “In fact, everyone has their own reasons to come to Cassel College, but all in all, many people in this college don’t like their dragon lineage.”