Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 355 A Qualified Leader (Bonus Chapter 2)

The Botticino under the night sky resembles a newly completed watercolor painting, with the sea breeze carrying salty moisture across the stone path.

Angers and Lu Mingfei walked side by side along the beach, the stone-paved alleyway winding to the end, accompanied by green trees.

Portofino is a famous tourist port town located on the eastern side of the Rigelian coast in northwestern Italy.

In Italian, Portofino means a small border port.

Brightly colored houses surround the emerald bay, backed by lush green mountains and facing the vast blue sea.

The exterior walls of the houses are painted in bright colors—pale green, yellow, and brown—creating a striking contrast with the green hills and blue-green sea.

Ancient buildings and colorful brick walls, together with mountains, sea, clouds and rain, create vivid and dreamlike scenery.

Lu Mingfei gazed at the colorful cottages built against the mountainside, which looked like a box of spilled candy in the twilight.

"This place is so beautiful. It doesn't feel like a meeting place; it's more like a resort."

“This place has always been a world-renowned resort destination,” Angers said. “Politicians, celebrities, and financial giants gather here every summer.”

"Is it both a vacation and an exchange of power?"

Lu Mingfei said softly.

A sea breeze blows, carrying the unique moist scent of the Mediterranean.

Lu Mingfei suddenly asked:
"Principal, what do you think a qualified leader should do?"

Angers gently tossed the pebble, watching it leap three times on the sea surface before finally sinking into the blue waves.

“I am not a qualified leader, Mingfei.”

His voice was remarkably calm. "A qualified leader should know how to weigh the pros and cons and make compromises when necessary. As for me..."

“I am merely a blade of revenge, its direction never wavering for a century.” He turned to face Lu Mingfei, the sea breeze ruffling his silver-gray hair. “A qualified leader considers the feelings of the Board of Trustees and weighs the interests of all parties.”

But I won't—I only want the dragons to pay the price.

Lu Mingfei was stunned. He had never heard Angers analyze himself so frankly.

"Then why."

"Why am I allowed to sit in this position?"

Angers picked up where he left off, a cold smile playing on his lips:
"Because in this era, what we need is an avenger, not a politician. When the Dragon King awakens, no one wants a leader who is good at weighing the pros and cons."

Before the 'Summer Mourning', the monarchs fell silent, and the 'Dead Servants' did not appear for nearly a century.

This disaster jolted the complacent old guard, and the Secret Service went into a state of war. They needed a leader with魄力 (poise and decisiveness), so they promoted me to the position.

Lu Mingfei listened in silence.

"So you actually know very well," he said softly, "that you're just a tool in their hands."

“A tool?” Angers chuckled, a laugh tinged with sarcasm. “No, we are tools to each other. They need me, this sharp blade, to deal with the dragon threat, while I need their resources and status to carry out my revenge. A fair trade, isn’t it?”

He bent down and picked up another pebble, but this time he didn't throw it; instead, he rubbed it repeatedly in his palm.

“But tools, when used for a long time, can also make the person wielding the knife feel uneasy.” Angers’ tone suddenly turned serious. “When they find that the knife is too sharp, and might even hurt them.”

Angers finally threw the pebble into the sea, watching it trace a long arc before disappearing into the waves in the night.

“Mingfei, remember this.” He turned around, his aged eyes shining brightly in the night. “In this world, some people would rather have a dull knife than a sharp blade that is out of control.” Lu Mingfei nodded.

“Now,” Angers said, “go back and get a good night’s sleep, and prepare for tomorrow’s ‘festival’.”
-
Portofino, Italy.

Amidst the fluttering fallen leaves, a silver Rolls-Royce sedan wound its way up the mountain, drove into the Splendid Hotel, and stopped beside the white building nestled against the cliff.

It was a detached building with hard white marble exteriors and narrow windows, resembling a small fortress. The dedicated parking lot was almost full, with a Lamborghini, an old Jaguar, and an AMG-modified Mercedes. Surprisingly, along with these luxury cars, an orange mountain bike also occupied a full parking space.

The driver bent down to open the car door and placed his hand on the top edge of the door to prevent the VIP from accidentally bumping his head.

A golden high heel lightly touched the ground, revealing a slender leg with breathtaking beauty.

Unlike the impression of a wealthy woman given by those high heels, a young girl emerged from the car, her face as exquisite as a sculpture by a famous Greek artist.

She had the appearance of a twenty-year-old, but the eyes of someone in their thirties. She wore makeup typical of European noblewomen, a black veil, and an expensive fitted suit with a fur vest over it. Her slender heels made her walk with a graceful sway, and her cold face exuded an imposing queenly aura.

Angers greeted him with a smile and open arms. Elisabeth Laurent gracefully embraced him, and the two exchanged a standard cheek kiss.

“My dear Lisa, you are still so beautiful and charming.”

Angers' voice was gentle and polite.

“Thank you, Angers,” the girl said. “It’s been eight years since you last saw me. You’re still the same; time seems to have stood still for you.”

"For an old man, the god of time will have mercy on him and slow down time by just a little bit."

Angers smiled.

"You're in big trouble this time."

Laurent said softly.

"So I brought him with me."

Angers stepped aside and introduced Elizabeth:
"This is Lu Mingfei, an S-class student from Kassel College, the most valiant dragon slayer, and also a special guest we have invited today."

Lu Mingfei nodded to Elizabeth Laurent.

He had read Miss Laurent's file; she was twenty-two years old, and her family owned one of the largest syndicates in Europe, involved in mining and finance. After her father died in a plane crash, she had to interrupt her studies at the Royal Academy of Arts to inherit the family business.

The Laurent family were strong supporters of Angers on the school board; in other words, they were allies of Lu Mingfei.

But Lu Mingfei instinctively disliked this head of the Laurent family, who was only a few years older than him. The girl's eyes unconsciously reminded him of Sir Gideon, the man with a hundred ears and a hundred eyes, in the Round Table Hall.

Elizabeth nodded slightly, her expression behind her veil unreadable.
"I've heard about your performance. I hope you won't let us down."

Her tone was calm.

This is not just a polite remark, but a subtle hint.

"I don't know what your plans are, but I don't like to disappoint myself, that's all."

Lu Mingfei replied.

Laurent paused slightly.

Angers smiled:

"Let's end the small talk here; the other board members are still waiting for us."

(End of this chapter)