Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Lu Mingfei then realized what was happening and hurriedly handed over the suit jacket and shirt that she had thrown on the back seat.

Sakura took it and, within the limited space inside the car, quickly put it back on. A dozen seconds later, she transformed back into the unassuming female assistant with black-rimmed glasses, a ponytail, and well-fitting suit trousers, as if the deadly ninja who had just stirred up a metal storm on the car roof had never existed.

“Let me reintroduce you, my assistant, Sakura Yabuki,” Genji said as he drove the car onto a relatively quiet side street. “Words of Power are Yin Flow, capable of sensing and manipulating subtle changes in airflow to a certain extent. While they can’t create a tangible storm like the Eye of the Wind King, within her domain, she can guide the breeze, allowing thrown, thin blades to follow the wind’s trajectory and accurately hit their targets. Those police car tires from earlier are the best example.”

“Hello, Ms. Yabuki Sakura.” Caesar extended his hand again, this time with a more formal attitude and pure admiration in his eyes. “My Word of Power is Kamaitachi, a branch of Wind-type Word of Power. Speaking of which, we are of the same type, what a coincidence. Would you have the honor of joining me for dinner during my mission in Tokyo?”

Genji glanced at Caesar in the rearview mirror with some surprise: "Can the power of words be revealed so easily?"

“Normally not,” Lu Mingfei answered quickly, chuckling, “but when Caesar meets someone he admires, he can tell you everything about his father, from how many mistresses he had, their names, to what perfumes they liked.”

“I can’t really remember them all,” Caesar shrugged, his thick skin justifying it, “because there are quite a few.”

"I won this bet?" Genjiro asked, turning to Caesar.

“You won, and you won with style,” Caesar readily admitted, waving his cigar. “With such an excellent assistant as Ms. Yabuki Sakura, it would be difficult for you to lose. Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged the bet. I’ve booked the entire top-tier host club in Shinjuku through the Mint Club I contacted on the plane. All seniors from the Japanese branch are welcome to come and have fun. All expenses are on my tab.”

Genjiro was a little confused: "You ordered it so quickly?"

“It was booked on the plane,” Caesar said matter-of-factly. “To book a private event in a top-tier venue like that, you have to do it in advance. You can’t just decide on the spur of the moment. Mint Club also needs time to coordinate.”

"You planned to go to the host club all along?" Genji felt like he was losing his rhythm again.

"Of course. I've heard that Japan's host culture is a unique and top-tier experience in the world. Although I'm not interested in men, just like Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang might not be. But I never refuse to experience anything top-tier."

“I’m straight, Caesar, Yuan-kun, you don’t understand Caesar,” Chu Zihang, who had been silent all along, said incisively. “Going to a host club for a wild party is normal entertainment for someone like him. We only need to worry about whether there’s enough champagne and food. As for the betting, win or lose, he’ll find a way to get you to come and experience it with him.”

Genjiro fell silent. He gripped the steering wheel, watching the city lights gradually thicken ahead, and a familiar sense of powerlessness welled up inside him again. He had won the bet, demonstrated his strength, and briefly regained a sense of control.

But what was the result? Was he supposed to accompany these lunatics from headquarters to a host club for singing and dancing? From the moment these guys set foot on Japanese soil, all the elegance of Bushido, the romance of moonlit battles, the chilling stillness of autumn leaves—none of it mattered.

The overwhelming, almost suffocating aura of idiocy was beginning to erode the world he knew, a world built on rules and power. Looking at the back seat, Caesar was already using a phone app to color-correct the photo of Sakura he'd just snapped, enthusiastically showing it to her and asking if she was satisfied.

"Princess Kaguya has sent an update." Sakura's voice broke the awkward atmosphere in the car. She looked at her tablet, her tone still calm. "One minute ago, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department issued nationwide arrest warrants through the media for four commissioners from its headquarters—Caesar Gattuso, Chu Zihang, Lu Mingfei, and Frilian. The charges include illegal entry, violent resistance to arrest, and endangering public safety. Fortunately, the photos released so far are rather blurry, mainly distant screenshots from airport and highway surveillance cameras."

"Why are there only four of us? By the way, Frilian is wanted too." Caesar looked up, somewhat surprised. "Miss Yabuki Sakura, you were standing so cool on the roof of the car just now, didn't they get a clear picture of you?"

“Look,” Sakura pointed to her now-tied-up ponytail, “I used to cover my face with my long hair.”

"Brilliant!" Caesar gave a thumbs up.

"You're focusing on something really weird!" Lu Mingfei cried out, clutching his head. "The main thing is, the four of us are wanted! Wanted nationwide! We just arrived in Japan, haven't even had a sip of water, and we're already fugitives! We haven't done anything!"

Frillie didn't seem to mind much; while traveling, she was often chased by local villagers to verify her identity.

"It's nothing special," Genji said casually. "More than half of the senior members of the Japanese branch have arrest warrants on their files, to varying degrees. Has Principal Angers ever told you about the nature of the Japanese branch?"

"What is the nature of the Japanese branch?" Lu Mingfei was taken aback, and even Caesar and Chu Zihang looked over.

Angers didn't say this, but Lu Mingfei knew it himself and had investigated it. The Snake Clan was a criminal organization that had become increasingly restless in recent years.

Yuan Zhisheng didn't answer directly, but just glanced at them in the rearview mirror, "When you get back, connect to the internet and ask your Norma."

Chapter 352 Good News and Bad News

The Peninsula Tokyo, penthouse presidential suite.

Outside the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, the Tokyo nightscape remained dazzling even through the rain. Lights stretched like a galaxy to the horizon, and cars trailed flowing ribbons of light on the overpasses. Compared to the thrilling chase through the abandoned airport and highways not long ago, the luxury, tranquility, and warmth here felt like a completely different world.

Lu Mingfei was sprawled on the expensive-looking leather sofa in the living room, big enough for three of him to lie on, wrapped in a soft, fluffy bathrobe that still felt warm from being dried. His hair wasn't completely dry, with a few strands falling across his forehead.

Beside him, Frilian had also changed into a plain-colored hotel bathrobe, her long silver hair loosely tied up with a simple wooden hairpin. She sipped a cup of genmaicha, which had just been brought by the waiter and had an elegant aroma, and calmly admired the city view outside the window.

Caesar sat on the single sofa opposite them, having changed out of his Tenkaichi kimono and into a velvet bathrobe provided by the hotel, a glass of champagne in his hand, his laptop spread out on the coffee table in front of him. Chu Zihang leaned against the bar counter, wiping his long sword, which he never parted with.

“Alright, gentlemen, and Miss Frilline,” Caesar took a sip of champagne, slamming his laptop shut with a crisp “click,” “Just now in the car, I used an encrypted line to retrieve all the files and information about the Japanese branch that I had access to within Norma’s database. Now, I have bad news and good news. Which would you like to hear first?”

Lu Mingfei thought for a moment, then nudged Frilian beside him with his elbow: "Frilian, what do you think?"

Frillie turned her gaze from the window, her emerald eyes looking at Caesar. After a moment's thought, she said, "Accepting the bad news first, then hearing the good news, offers the comfort of knowing there's still hope."

“That makes sense!” Lu Mingfei slapped his thigh and immediately said, “Then let’s hear the bad news first! At least that way there’ll be some hope, and we can die knowing why.”

Caesar nodded, his expression turning serious: "The bad news is that the Japanese branch is indeed a yakuza organization. Moreover, according to the files, it is not just an ordinary gang, but the oldest and most prestigious yakuza family in Japan, and has long been regarded as the shadow emperor, or rather, the supreme leader, of the Japanese underworld."

"I knew it! I knew it!" Lu Mingfei exclaimed immediately, his face beaming with certainty. "Yuan Zhisheng, and his two henchmen named Crow and Yaksha, their style and mannerisms are exactly like those of yakuza bosses in movies! Miss Sakura is so beautiful and capable, and she's a ninja too. This setup is typical of a yakuza family!"

He paused, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "So, what's the good news?"

“The good news is,” Caesar shrugged, “that now, we are too.”

"..." Lu Mingfei's expression froze instantly, then collapsed. "Boss! Did a rocket blast damage your brain? What kind of good news is this?! How did I suddenly become a gangster? My resume is clean, I'm a model citizen, okay, maybe not very famous, but definitely clean! At most, I occasionally copied homework in middle school and downloaded a few pirated songs in college, how did I become a gangster?"

“Calm down, Lu Mingfei,” Chu Zihang put down the knife and cloth in his hand. “Caesar’s point is that because we cooperate with the Japanese branch, we will be automatically classified as having ties to the underworld in terms of Japanese law and social perception. But that does not mean that we are criminals as individuals.”

“That’s right,” Caesar continued, explaining to Lu Mingfei and also to Frilian, “Japan is the only country in the world that legally allows organized crime to exist. Organizations like the Triads are legally registered corporations. Japanese law targets specific crimes and perpetrators, not the entire organization. Here, organized crime even has social insurance and unemployment benefits, which is a kind of, well, special form of employment. During earthquakes and floods, the first wave of rescuers is sometimes not government forces, but local organized crime groups, because they have strong control and mobilization capabilities at the grassroots level.”

Lu Mingfei was stunned: "So, here, the underworld isn't considered a pariah, but rather a semi-legal social group?"

"That's not entirely true," Chu Zihang corrected, having done his research. "The public generally remains wary and fearful of the underworld. The underworld originated from ancient guilds, which were self-governing, and their rules sometimes conflicted with the law. Some long-established and powerful guilds evolved into gangs, with their upper-class families known as the 'underworld aristocracy.' Many of their businesses are legal, and they maintain close ties with political and business elites. Therefore, the government adopts a strategy of both restricting and utilizing them legally. Not all underworld members have criminal records; they also have internal rules and won't easily resort to violence unless absolutely necessary. However, if someone breaks the rules, the retaliation can be extremely brutal. It's said that if all the underworld in Japan were to simultaneously riot out of control, the entire Japanese police force wouldn't be enough to suppress them."

"In short," Caesar concluded, "the Japanese underworld is a very complex, long-standing, and deeply embedded entity within the social structure. We are partners with them, not enemies. From an operational standpoint, this is barely good news. At least they won't cut off our hands or pour concrete into our bodies."

“But,” Lu Mingfei still found it hard to accept, turning to look at Frilian beside him for approval, “Frilian, what do you think? Have we gotten ourselves on a sinking ship?”

Frillie put down her teacup. “I’ve seen similar situations on my travels. Some powerful non-human races, or groups with special powers, choose to reach a tacit agreement with those in power in order to survive or maintain order in human society, defining their own territory and rules. As long as they don’t openly disrupt the overall balance, they are allowed to exist. It sounds like the underworld families here are playing a similar role.”

Frillien looked at Caesar, "Is the Snake Clan you mentioned something like this?"

Caesar glanced at Frilian with some surprise, not expecting her to grasp the essence and draw an analogy so quickly.

"That's right. According to Norma's limited information, the Japanese branch is not an agency directly dispatched by the Academy, but rather a joint venture established by the Academy and the Hebi-Hachi family, a mixed-race family in Japan. The Hebi-Hachi family consists of three major clans and five minor clans, all of whom are of mixed race. For over a thousand years, they have controlled the Japanese underworld. Any new underworld force that wants to establish itself must pay homage at the Hebi-Hachi family's shrines, signifying compliance with their rules. Their power is so great that even European secret societies are wary of them. The Academy cannot command them and can only cooperate with them. Therefore, when the Japanese branch mistreats or, rather, rigorously tests the specialists sent by headquarters, the Academy often has no choice but to turn a blind eye."

Chapter 353 The treatment was too good.

“Abuse?” Lu Mingfei caught the key word. “But I think Yuan Zhisheng and Ying were quite polite to us. They even picked us up in a Hummer. Although the process was a bit exciting, they also arranged such a luxurious hotel.”

He looked around the extremely luxurious presidential suite. The air was filled with the scent of expensive sandalwood, the ice buckets were filled with fine champagne, and the fruit platters were filled with top-quality fruits flown in from the air. The beautiful waitresses in high-slit cheongsams with their slender figures had also left a deep impression on him.

Although he was too embarrassed to look at her too much, after all, Frillie was right next to him.

He might have secretly glanced at them before, but now, he felt that those deliberately displayed sexiness lacked something compared to the natural, pure beauty of the elfin girl beside him. His enthusiasm for two-dimensional characters had been unconsciously diluted by the more real companionship and connection he felt with them.

“That’s exactly what I find strange,” Caesar said, his expression turning serious. He turned on his computer screen and brought up some pages.

"I found anonymous travelogues and rants from agents who had previously traveled to Japan on business in the academy's Night Watchers discussion forum. Almost everyone described it as a nightmare, being subjected to all sorts of difficulties, belittlement, humiliation, and even physical torture, with absolutely no dignity whatsoever. They described the Japanese branch as hell, a devil's training camp, a hybrid Spartan world, oh my god!" Caesar suddenly cursed.

"What's wrong?" Lu Mingfei asked, startled.

"I suddenly understand!" Caesar put down his champagne glass, his face grim. "No wonder the student council officers insisted on having a video farewell party before I left. They all acted so sentimental, and one guy even leaned in front of the camera with red eyes and said, 'Boss, let's go hunting together again when you come back.' I thought they were finally completely won over by my personal charm, but now that I think about it, those bastards just thought I was going to have a terrible time in Japan and were saying their final goodbye!"

Chu Zihang paused in wiping the blade, then calmly added, "Before boarding the train, Lancelot made a special trip to the station. Besides handing over his work, he also had me sign a document. It stated that if I could not be contacted for more than three weeks, he would automatically assume the role of acting president. If it exceeded three months, the Lionheart Society would need to initiate the election process for a new president."

"Holy crap!" Lu Mingfei was completely shocked. "This isn't just a farewell, it's watching you make your will and settle your affairs! They've all prepared for the fact that you won't be coming back!"

"Looking back now, that's definitely true," Chu Zihang nodded and continued wiping the knife.

“Therefore,” Caesar concluded, “historically speaking, the Japanese branch is definitely not a place to be trifled with. Many of the previous commissioners were left with psychological scars, becoming neurotic, bowing to everyone they met, and trembling with fear to admit their mistakes when criticized. A nakedly primogeniture culture prevails here; only the truly strong can earn respect. In their eyes, there is probably only one universally acknowledged strongman at headquarters—”

“Hilbert Jean Angers,” Chu Zihang said, uttering the name.

"That old show-off principal?" Lu Mingfei curled his lip. "He's strong and flamboyant, but he can't be considered typical."

“Therefore,” Chu Zihang looked at Caesar with sharp eyes, “the unusual preferential treatment the Japanese branch has given us this time—private jet pick-up, Hummer escort, presidential suite, top-notch service—seems even more suspicious and unreasonable.”

“In your Chinese way of speaking,” Caesar said, picking up his champagne glass and gently swirling the golden liquid as he watched the fine bubbles rise, “there’s no such thing as an unsolicited favor; it’s either a lie or a theft.”

A silence fell over the room. Outside, the Tokyo nightscape remained vibrant, but the atmosphere inside the suite was heavy. The rich aroma of champagne, the sweet scent of fruit, and the subtle fragrance of sandalwood mingled together, a scent that should have been relaxing, but instead was shrouded in an inexplicable fog.

Lu Mingfei looked at Frilian, the elven girl who was also frowning slightly, deep in thought.

“Logically speaking,” Frilian began slowly, “excessive preferential treatment often means that the other party has grand ambitions, or that they are about to ask us to do something very difficult or dangerous, so much so that they need to use these things to compensate us in advance, or to lower our guard.”

These words caused the temperature in the room to drop a few degrees.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Lu Mingfei slapped the sofa and sat up straight. "We'll meet force with force! What haven't we seen? We've even confronted the Dragon King, so why would we be afraid of those Japanese gangsters? Besides,"

He looked at Caesar and Chu Zihang, then at Frilian, "We're not pushovers anymore. Boss, you're the heir to the Gattuso family, Senior Brother, you're a Super A-level killer, Frilian, you're unfathomable, and me, I'm at least an S-level!"

He tried to sound more confident, "If they really have ill intentions, we'll show them what headquarters' ace is all about! They can stay in the presidential suite, drink champagne, and as for the mission, we'll see how it goes!"

His words were partly to encourage himself, and partly sincere. After everything he'd been through, he was indeed less timid than before. Especially around Frillian, he always felt a strange sense of security. If he encountered a danger he couldn't handle, a shadow would flash deep in his eyes—the price might be high, but he wasn't without trump cards.

Moreover, he subconsciously felt that with Frilian around, things would never get so bad that they were beyond repair.

Caesar looked at Lu Mingfei and laughed, "You're right, Lu Mingfei. We are who we are, and the former commissioners are the former commissioners. No matter how powerful the Snake Clan is, this isn't a place where they can completely control everything. Besides,"

He swirled the champagne in his glass. "This 1998 Moët & Chandon champagne, and these air-freighted lychees, are indeed quite delicious. Since they've been delivered, wouldn't it be a shame not to enjoy them?"

Chu Zihang nodded slightly, slowly sheathing the gleaming sword with a crisp "click." Actions speak louder than words.

Frillie looked at Lu Mingfei, who had become lively again, and felt a little gratified. Her child had finally grown up. She picked up the teapot and refilled Lu Mingfei's teacup, which had been empty for half a day, with hot tea.

“Well then,” Caesar downed his champagne in one gulp, stood up, “before the conspiracy or test officially begins, let’s enjoy the presidential suite service at the Peninsula Tokyo. Take a hot bath, have some late-night snacks, and recharge. Tomorrow, we’ll meet with Genjiro and see what kind of grand show they’ve prepared for us.”

“There’s one more thing,” Caesar poked Lu Mingfei with his finger, “Mingfei, why were your eyes kept wandering to the waiter just now?”

"Don't slander me! They're the ones who think highly of me!" Lu Mingfei sat up from the sofa, rubbing his chest with an exaggerated tone, "Several of those waitresses in cheongsams were glancing around. Were they trying to seduce me, this steadfast and unyielding young man from Kassel? And then secretly installed hidden cameras, planning to take some indecent photos to blackmail me?"

“Not quite,” Caesar swirled his champagne glass, a half-smile playing on his lips. “If they really wanted to seduce you, showing you a beautiful woman might not be the best approach. They should put a life-size limited-edition body pillow of the magical girl Meruru or an otherworldly fairy princess in your bedroom, along with a full set of Blu-ray discs and the latest game console. That way, you’d probably pounce on her immediately, striking all sorts of otaku-esque poses perfect for candid photos, without any seduction at all.”

"Boss! That's hurtful!" Lu Mingfei immediately protested, his face slightly red. "I'm no longer the kind of shut-in who just grins at anime characters! I'm a person with goals and style now!"

As he spoke, he glanced quickly at Frillie, who was quietly drinking tea beside him, and his voice unconsciously lowered a little.

"Oh? Is that so?" Caesar raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his words. "Then tell me, what are you pursuing now?"

Chapter 354 Asahina

"Me..." Lu Mingfei stammered, unable to say for a moment. He couldn't very well just say that his pursuit was this silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty next to him, could he? He hesitated for a moment, then forcefully changed the subject, "Anyway, it's not a body pillow! I'm immune to that kind of thing!"

Just then, Chu Zihang returned after making his rounds of the bedrooms. He wasn't carrying a knife, but he had something draped under his arm that seemed completely out of character for his usual aloof demeanor: a giant body pillow, almost as tall as a person, printed with an image of an anime girl in a revealing maid outfit with an exaggeratedly large bust.

"Is this the Asahina you were talking about?" Chu Zihang asked expressionlessly, throwing the cushion directly into Lu Mingfei's arms.

Lu Mingfei hugged it, feeling its soft, fluffy texture and the visual impact of the beautiful girl on the pillow. He glanced down at it, then looked up at Chu Zihang's serious face, and then felt the curious gaze from Frilline beside him. He immediately felt his face burning and black lines appear on his forehead.

"Holy crap, they actually released it, and it's such a big one!" Lu Mingfei hurriedly pushed the cushion to the corner of the sofa and covered it with a backrest, as if it were a hot potato.

"It seems the Japanese branch has done a very thorough job of their investigation," Chu Zihang said, walking to the window and looking out at the rainy night.

"The three bedrooms in the suite were completely different in style. Caesar's room was in a European classical style, with velvet curtains and a crystal chandelier. My room was minimalist Japanese style, with wooden furniture and a calm color scheme. As for Lu Mingfei and Frilian's room, as soon as you turned on the TV, it would automatically play the latest anime series with Chinese subtitles. In addition to that cushion, there was a top-of-the-line large-screen computer and the latest game console on the desk, with several popular novels that Frilian liked next to it. They not only knew each of our identities and general backgrounds, but they also carefully considered our personal preferences and were trying their best to please us."