Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

The group went up the suspended staircase in the living room. On the second floor, there was a small living room with a small wooden round table in the middle, which could accommodate about seven or eight people.

Su Enxi walked straight to the bar at the back of the small living room, pulled open the partition, revealing a wine cabinet embedded in the wall, which was filled with a dazzling array of wine bottles, including Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, and Haut-Brion—all the wines from the five great Bordeaux estates.

But Su Enxi simply picked out a bottle of champagne and poured it into glasses for each of them.

The light in the small living room was also a chandelier, casting a warm, yellow glow on everyone.

"Are you hungry? There's a kitchen downstairs, but I don't know if there's any food in the fridge." After sitting down, Su Enxi leaned back in the soft sofa, sprawled out, looking every bit the slovenly homebody. "I bought a whole set of Gaggenau kitchen appliances for two million, and I haven't used them yet."

"Let's get down to business first." Lu Mingfei only took a sip of champagne before putting it on the table.

“You’re the boss, you make the decisions,” Su Enxi said, shrugging.

"Are you also a mixed-race organization?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"I guess so, although there are only four people including the boss and core members," Su Enxi replied.

"What is your purpose, and Lu Mingze's purpose?"

"love and peace."

"Why are you staring at me? How do you know what's special about me? Do you know who I am?"

"Wait, wait," Su Enxi raised her hand to stop them. "Why didn't you ask more questions about the last one?"

“Love and peace, my English is alright,” Lu Mingfei said calmly. “I know that’s not your real purpose, and I won’t force you if you don’t want to say.”

“Okay.” Su Enxi was a little dejected. She didn’t expect Lu Mingfei to be so serious and sincere. “Then I’ll be sincere too. Actually, our purpose is very simple. Zero is here to repay a debt of gratitude. I work for the boss, and this guy is the boss’s ninja.”

She pointed at Mai Shude.

Mai Shude remained silent from the beginning, sitting with her legs crossed, gently swirling her wine glass in her hand, watching the liquid flow within. Her slender, long legs, visible beneath her silk nightgown, swayed rhythmically with the wine glass, the hem of her skirt gently swaying as if in a breeze.

She seemed to be waiting for Lu Mingfei's gaze, but Lu Mingfei sat upright on the sofa, his eyes fixed straight ahead, like a block of wood.

Meeting Lu Mingfei's gaze, she smiled sweetly, "I was just joking with you before about the assistant serving you in bed." Then, she made a microphone shape with her hand near her mouth, leaned slightly forward, and added lightly, "Actually, the only one who provides the service is me, the ninja."

It's a very girlish gesture, yet the way she pulls it off carries a captivating and alluring charm.

“I don’t need to serve you in bed,” Lu Mingfei replied calmly.

Su Enxi, who was standing to the side, suddenly burst out laughing.

Mai, however, remained unfazed, downing her champagne in one gulp. After straightening her clothes, she sat up straight, completely abandoning her languid demeanor. Her back was ramrod straight, like a taut string, and her stunning figure was clearly visible beneath her nightgown.

This is her usual demeanor.

Just as Lu Mingfei judged at first glance, they were either thugs or assassins.

“As for the boss’s purpose, we employees really don’t know. We just focus on completing the tasks he assigns.” Su Enxi’s lips curled into a pleasant smile, seemingly pleased to see Jiu De Mai get the short end of the stick. She then continued to answer Lu Mingfei’s question, “Sometimes he says he wants to create a new era, and sometimes he says he wants to destroy the world.”

Chapter 72 Trust

“It doesn’t sound contradictory. If you want to replace the old era with a new one, the first thing you must do is destroy the existing order, gather an army, recruit talents, and launch an attack at the right time,” Lu Mingfei said. “That is, the strategy that Mr. Fenglin offered to Zhu Yuanzhang: build high walls, store up grain, and delay declaring yourself king.”

"Don't portray us as warlords; we're all delicate and beautiful young women." Su Enxi took a sip of champagne guiltily. "We just occasionally do some dirty work for the boss."

“But you are hybrids.” Lu Mingfei remained unmoved. “The power of hybrids comes from their bloodline and the genes of dragons. The words of power used by a delicate girl are just as deadly as those used by a strong man. The only difference is the level of bloodline.”

Su Enxi thought to herself, no wonder seduction was completely ineffective. So when that long-legged girl swayed her legs, did she see Chu Zihang holding Junyan or Caesar activating Kamaitachi in your eyes?

"Anyway, it's not as exaggerated as you say. If we're talking about warlords on the dark side of the world, your school's board of directors is the kind that's just short of being kings," Su Enxi said. "We're at most small bandits who have taken over a mountain."

Lu Mingfei nodded, noting down Su Enxi's assessment of the Secret Party family.

"Then the next question, I just asked."

“We really don’t know.” Su Enxi shrugged. “The boss always comes with a mission and rarely explains it. Especially you, he only mentioned it briefly when he was in a good mood, saying that you would definitely encounter that throne… It’s like he didn’t say anything at all. A throne can be a place, it could be an object, it could be an enemy, or it could even really be the Iron Throne from A Song of Ice and Fire.”

Lu Mingfei hadn't expected to get anything out of Lu Mingze's men, and Su Enxi's frankness tonight had already exceeded his expectations.

"So, the next question is, how much do you know about the current hybrid factions and dragons?"

Su Enxi raised an eyebrow; she really hadn't expected Lu Mingfei to ask such grand questions.

Is this guy really the same kid who had a crush on an artsy girl a year ago but didn't dare to confess? Even if he was brainwashed by that Angers avenger, shouldn't his perspective on the dragon-slaying battlefield be elevated to such a high level all of a sudden? Normally, shouldn't there be a transitional period like Chu Zihang or Caesar's?

The questions Su Enxi was prepared to answer were mostly about how much the furniture was worth, what assets the organization had, or the measurements and hobbies of her three delicate assistants.

"That depends on which aspect you want to ask," Su Enxi said carefully.

"Then take your time and tell me." Lu Mingfei gave her an encouraging look.

Su Enxi almost spat out her champagne. Lu Mingfei looked like a patient and persuasive psychologist or interrogator.

“Alright.” Su Enxi sat up. “Looks like we’re going to have a long talk all night.”

Zero suddenly stood up from the sofa in the corner, then belatedly realized that everyone's eyes were on her, and explained casually, "I'm going to make something to eat."

"She truly is my little darling." Su Enxi gave a thumbs up.

After Zero left, the conversation continued.

“Let’s start with the origins of hybrids,” Su Enxi said.

"I know a little about this: the bloody intermarriage between humans and dragons and the dilution of bloodlines generation after generation until they stabilize."

Su Enxi was surprised, "Kassel College even teaches this?"

“It’s recorded in some highly classified documents in the library,” Lu Mingfei replied.

“Alright.” Su Enxi stroked her chin. “Angers really gives you a lot of authority. Let’s get straight to the point. Is the only mixed-race person you’ve been in contact with at Kassel College so far?”

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"Actually, that school only represents a small part of the hybrid race. Dragon bloodlines spread to every corner of the world through marriage, and hybrids are distributed in different regions of the world. Only a small portion of them are selected to join Kassel College. The others have their own way of life, but because of their bloodlines, they will eventually be attracted to each other and form a sub-society hidden within human society."

"Kassel College was formerly the Secret Party, whose mission was to exterminate all pure-blooded dragons. However, not every hybrid held this ideal; many hybrids remained aloof from the war. They hated dragons but did not consider themselves to be on the side of humans. They considered themselves to be a 'third race' with superior bloodlines, somewhere between humans and dragons. Some of their families had existed for over a thousand years, accumulating astonishing wealth and power. Some families had formed loose alliances, and their strength was no less than that of the Secret Party."

"Are all the hybrid factions hiding in the shadows?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"As far as we know, yes," Su Enxi said. "Do you know what the biggest difference is between humans and dragons?"

Lu Mingfei knew the answer wasn't some empty phrase like bloodline or power. After a moment's thought, he offered his own answer: "Social structure?"

“Not entirely, that’s just the effect of the cause.” Su Enxi finally regained a sense of superiority as the mastermind behind the scenes, but seeing Lu Mingfei sitting upright and leaning forward seriously, she felt rather bored. “Actually, it’s very simple, it’s genes.”

"The genetic difference between modern humans and Homo sapiens tens of thousands of years ago is not as great as we imagine. Human civilization is not built on genetic evolution and innate great power, but on 'fictional stories'. That is, the product of the so-called cognitive revolution. Since then, Homo sapiens have been able to use flexible and complex language to describe things that do not exist in nature, whether it is the Bible, the 'dream world' of Australian Aboriginal people, or even a nation."

"Even today, human civilization still relies on such 'fictional stories'—history, culture, companies, countries, banks, currency, and so on. These vastly different 'fictional stories' are actually the collective imagination of humankind, from which humanity has created value that transcends material reality."

"Research shows that the largest group size at which humans can mutually know and trust each other is about 150 people. Once this number is exceeded, most people cannot truly understand the situation of all members. However, as long as the number of people is below 150, whether it is a community, company, social network or military unit, as long as everyone knows each other and shares information, they can operate smoothly based on interpersonal relationships, without the need to establish formal hierarchy, titles, or norms. Therefore, a small family business can operate smoothly without a board of directors, CEO, or accounting department, and in some small units, veterans even have more power than non-commissioned officers."

“Now it has far exceeded 150 people and has become a global concept of ‘fictional stories’, the most typical of which is currency. Do you know what it relies on?” Su Enxi asked.

Lu Mingfei was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Reputation?"

“That’s right.” Su Enxi snapped her fingers. “Trust is the cornerstone of humanity.”

Chapter 73 Dragon Blood Class

“Money isn’t gold, it’s not paper, it’s trust. It’s the best and most efficient mechanism for mutual trust among humans. Finance is an industry that deals only with money.” Su Enxi continued, “Guess what would happen if a god-like race appeared before humanity?”

Lu Mingfei knew that the answer to this question was related to actions that had already occurred in reality: the hybrids had unanimously concealed the secrets of the dragon race.

"Trust has collapsed?" Lu Mingfei asked.

“First, the economy will collapse,” Su Enxi said quietly. “The credibility of all governments and financial institutions will be severely damaged, causing global panic and currency devaluation. This level of economic turmoil will manifest in reality as the collapse of social order, war, and scramble for survival resources. Then, new religions and beliefs will emerge, and a significant number of people will worship dragons, regarding them as gods and saviors.”

"Is it that serious?" Lu Mingfei asked in confusion.

It sounds like if dragons just stood on the podium at the United Nations General Assembly and shouted, humanity would crumble on its own.

“These are just inferences. The collapse of the economic, social, and belief systems will be a long and turbulent process. There might even be a third world war, and humanity might return to the tribal era. Or human governments might overcome this crisis through control and regulation, which could lead to the first global unity in human history.” Su Enxi shrugged. “In short, the existing order will completely collapse.”

“Global cooperation, that sounds great.” Lu Mingfei tried to imagine it.

Without a doubt, humanity's most powerful weapon—nuclear weapons—can effectively kill dragons and dragon kings. If one is not enough, then a saturation attack will suffice. A hypersonic missile equipped with a MIRV nuclear warhead can destroy a human city, just as it can destroy a dragon city.

However, Su Enxi's words also make sense; war is not simply about straggling and unleashing firepower. Before nuclear weapons wipe out dragons, the same could happen to humans and hybrids.

"So hybrids are afraid to gamble?" Lu Mingfei said. "Afraid to gamble on the rationality and solidarity of humanity as a whole?"

“It’s not just that they dare not, they consider secrecy their top priority,” Su Enxi said. “The bloodline advantage of hybrids is not only reflected in appearance, strength, and incantations, but also in intelligence. Although it hasn’t reached the level of a cross-species gap, most of the scientific progress made by humans in modern times has the shadow of hybrids behind it. They infiltrate government agencies, invest in research and development projects, establish monopoly capital, and control the direction of the world to a certain extent. And what modern hybrid forces are best at is manipulating public opinion. Any information that may expose the existence of dragons will be classified into levels according to urgency before it reaches intelligence agencies, human government departments, or newspapers.”

Lu Mingfei recalled the post he had made online about "golden pupils," which Kassel College dealt with almost instantly and even sent Ye Sheng and Jiu Deya to interview him.

Thinking back, if I were an ordinary person, I might not have been greeted by the admissions team, but rather by brainwashing agents from the executive department.

"But with the advancement of technology, this secret will eventually be exposed. Satellites with increasingly higher resolution, the growing number of cameras, and more and more social media bloggers will eventually capture substantial evidence." Lu Mingfei thought for a moment and raised the key point of the question.

"In fact, there have already been quite a few direct leaks of video footage, even though the hybrids were able to hack into the devices of the individuals involved through the network and delete locally stored information," Su Enxi said. "The hybrids can still control things for now. As long as most of the truly serious leaks are removed, the remaining scraps will naturally be used as urban legends, script hype, or special effects."

"It sounds like hybrids are the guardians of order," Lu Mingfei commented.

"Not entirely. The greed of dragons is also inherited by hybrids. If they do everything in their power to maintain an order, they will inevitably be the class that benefits the most from that order." Su Enxi seemed to have forgotten that she was also a hybrid, and said in a detached tone, "They control a considerable proportion of political and economic resources, and even military power, in human society. They are the rulers and beneficiaries in the shadows. If dragons were to start a full-scale war, hybrids could definitely mobilize a large number of weapons of mass destruction in a short time. Therefore, they don't need to cooperate with humans; they only need the human world to stay in control."

“Hybrids are also dragons.” Lu Mingfei understood. “Their methods are just gentler and more sophisticated than those of dragons.”

"You could say that. Their human bloodline ensures they won't treat humans as food, that's all," Su Enxi didn't deny. "They don't need to eat people directly either. The development of philosophy, social sciences, economics, and political science has allowed them to exploit humans in a more civilized and respectable way."

Lu Mingfei knew that not all mixed-race people had this idea. For example, Ye Sheng, Jiu Deya Ji, Nono, Caesar, Chu Zihang, Angers, and Fingel did not seem like such scheming individuals.

What Su Enxi was actually referring to was a group, or rather, a class. The intellectual and physical advantages of hybrids determine that they can control most of the means of production. The stability of this advantageous position is determined by genes and is more solid than any capitalist class among ordinary humans; it can even be directly called the dragon-blood class.

Lu Mingfei immediately understood.

The only obstacle between this class and the throne of the world is the dragon race.

They slay dragons not for humanity or for justice, but to compete with dragons for ecological niches.

“I see,” Lu Mingfei said. “It is somewhat troublesome.”

"What trouble?" It was Mai Shude who asked this question. She had been listening quietly to the chief assistant reporting information to the boss. She could understand every question and answer during this time, but she didn't understand Lu Mingfei's seemingly random remark.

“Mixed-blood families,” Lu Mingfei enunciated clearly, “I originally thought they were allies I could befriend.”

Just then, Zero returned, wearing a slightly oversized apron, looking every bit like a little cook.

"Come and eat," she interrupted their conversation.

……

The restaurant is located on the first floor and features an oval table made of stone and wood that can seat about eight people at the same time. Candlesticks and decorative crafts are placed in the center of the table.