Dragon Raja: The Divine Man Lu Mingfei

Chapter 104 The Heavenly Emperor Arrives

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Italy, Portofino.

On a steep cliff overlooking the sea, a sturdy white stone villa, resembling a medieval fortress, stands quietly in the sea breeze. Several clumps of dark green ivy climb the walls, their tendrils entwining the mottled stone patterns, highlighting its antiquity.

A silver-gray helicopter circled the azure sea before landing smoothly on the open ground in front of the villa. The wind whipped up by the rotors carried the salty, damp scent of the sea. The cabin door opened, and a young woman wearing an exquisite velvet hat descended the steps. Her long, pale blonde hair was gently lifted by the sea breeze, a few strands clinging to her fair neck, even the strands carrying a faint scent of sea salt.

She wore a well-tailored white dress, the hem and cuffs trimmed with delicate blue tulle. Her petite frame exuded the elegant grace unique to a young woman from an old-fashioned European aristocratic family. Her features were delicate and refined, giving an impression of fragility; her clear, bright emerald eyes resembled the most precious green gemstones.

Those bright eyes were now looking towards the main entrance of the villa—the open space there was already filled with gleaming luxury cars, and a waiter in a black suit stood beside each car.

The young woman, lifting her skirt, walked gracefully through the sandy path into the villa. The villa's exterior was constructed of hard marble, while the interior was entirely made of warm solid wood. Bronze chandeliers hung from the dome, and old Renaissance paintings adorned the walls. The air was filled with the faint aroma of cigars and red wine, and every detail exuded a classic yet opulent feel.

She stopped in front of a heavy solid wood conference room door, stretched out her slender hand, and slowly pushed the door open.

The room was dark, with the curtains drawn, except for a row of candles lit in the center of a long table. The flickering candlelight reflected the five figures sitting around the table.

Seated in the main seat was the elderly Hilbert Jean Angers, with neatly combed white hair, wearing a black suit, and a signature red rose pinned to his lapel.

Angers wore a smile, but his gaze, when it fell on the person opposite him, concealed a subtle sharpness; while the other old man opposite him, Frost Gattuso, had his brows furrowed deeply, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and the air between the two was thick with tension. These details all indicated that the two had already engaged in a verbal battle before the girl's arrival, and it seemed that Angers had the upper hand.

"I'm sorry, Principal Angers, I'm late and have kept you waiting." The girl lightly lifted the hem of her skirt with her fingertips, slightly bent her knees and bowed, her posture as elegant as a noble lady who had stepped out of an oil painting, instantly breaking the tense atmosphere.

"My dear Miss Charlotte Gottingen, you are not late, we are just a little early." Angers, with his signature gentle smile, extended his hand to her in a gentlemanly manner. "No need for formalities, please take a seat."

Charlotte returned a polite smile and slowly walked to the empty seat to the right of Angers and sat down. By now, the long marble table was full of six people—all the board members of Kassel College were present except for the mysterious board member who never attended any offline meetings and whose true identity was unknown.

"Ahem." Angers cleared his throat lightly, picked up the small brass bell beside him, and gently shook it, producing a crisp sound. He then calmly announced, "Now that everyone is here, I hereby declare this Board of Trustees meeting officially open."

"Ding ding ding".

No sooner had Angers finished speaking than a series of urgent ringing bells rang out.

The bell-ringer was a middle-aged man sitting to Frost's right. After all eyes were on him, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "Before we formally begin, I have a question I must clarify." He then looked up at Angers, who sat at the head of the table. "Principal Angers, I received word that you relinquished your position as principal of Kassel College to a new student. Is this true?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to Angers, except for the girl in the black veil sitting to his left. Clearly, they had all heard this outrageous rumor to some extent and were now waiting for Angers to confirm the truth of the news himself.

Angers rested his chin on his hands, which were folded together on the edge of the table. The flickering candlelight cast a hazy reflection on his gold-rimmed glasses, making it impossible for anyone to see the emotions in his eyes behind the lenses. No one could guess what the old headmaster was thinking at that moment.

After a long silence, Angers finally spoke slowly: "Yes, I did indeed give up my position as principal to a new student."

"Why, Principal Angers?" Charlotte leaned forward instinctively and couldn't help but ask.

"Because it was the right choice," Angers said.

"Angers, since you've voluntarily relinquished your position as principal, you are no longer the principal of Kassel." Frost slammed his fist on the table, his tone aggressive. "Do you think you're still qualified to sit here and participate in a board meeting when you're no longer the principal?"

Before Angers could answer, the girl beside him, who had been wearing a black veil, spoke first. Her voice was clear and cold, yet carried an undeniable weight: "Director Frost, considering only Principal Angers's outstanding contributions to the dragon-slaying cause over the years as the most outstanding leader in the field, he is fully qualified to continue attending the board meetings."

Angers nodded slightly upon hearing this and continued, "I have indeed stepped down from my position as principal, but the new principal, Lu Mingfei, appointed me as acting principal immediately. Therefore, I believe I am still qualified to participate in this meeting."

"Lu Mingfei? Is that the name of the new principal you chose?" Frost sneered, tapping his fingers on the table. "Angers, have you forgotten the clear provisions in the Kassel Charter regarding the change of principal? A new principal must be approved by more than half of the board members to take effect. You rushed to summon us here today just to go through this process, didn't you? If so, I'm sorry, but the Gattuso family is firmly opposed to this."

"Agreed, Principal Angers, Principal Angers, your decision is utter nonsense!" The only school board member who hadn't spoken finally spoke up.

The middle-aged school board member who had just launched the attack also nodded in support of Frost.

Frost's gaze swept over the two remaining people at the table who had not yet expressed their opinions. He first looked at the girl in the black veil, who was a supporter of Angers, a fact he already knew.

His gaze finally fell on Charlotte Gottingen, the current head of the Gottingen family. If she also stood up to oppose it, Angers' decision would be completely overturned, with no room for maneuver.

The situation had clearly tilted completely in Frost's favor, and for Angers, it was practically a dead end. Of course, all of this hinged on the premise that today's meeting was truly a vote conducted according to the rules. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

"Frost, haven't you been hoping for me to step down from the principal's position for years?" Angers suddenly laughed, his tone laced with casual mockery. "So why are you the first to object now that I'm actually leaving?"

"Angers, no one will stop you from giving up your position as principal, but the selection of your successor cannot be decided by you alone!" Frost said coldly.

"Really? Have you done your research on what kind of person our new principal is?" Angers' smile remained unchanged.

"What do you mean?" Frost stared at the confident smile on his lips and suddenly had a bad feeling.

Angers ignored him, glancing at his watch and saying casually, "Judging by the time, we should be there soon."

.

Just as Angers finished checking the time and looked up again, the door was suddenly flung open, and a strong female voice came from outside the meeting room—

"The Heavenly Emperor has arrived!"

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