Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Schneider looked at Manstein and said, "It was because of the clues provided by the Crown Prince that we focused our attention on this shipwreck and finally detected that heartbeat signal."

“If this is just another bait,” Manstein pressed, “why repeat the same mistake?”

“Because once we confirm that it is a dragon embryo, we cannot let it hatch! We have no time to hesitate! The longer we delay, the higher the embryo’s hatching rate will be! Once it has a full sense of self, everything will be irreversible! The diving team will face the exact same predicament as the Greenland team!”

Schneider took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "In the Greenland Sea, although we failed to capture the young dragon, it's very likely that our actions interrupted or severely interfered with its hatching process, which is why it hasn't reached adulthood yet. It must be hiding somewhere in the world, re-cocooning and waiting for its chance. The prince is always doing one thing: he can find the hatcheries of ancient dragon embryos, and then lure us there to clean up those embryos for him."

"We will pay a high price and risk our lives for this, but it is indeed the mission of the Secret Service. We know that the Crown Prince is throwing out a bloody bait, but we have no choice but to swallow it. We speculate that we acted too late in Greenland eleven years ago. It was probably during those months of hesitation and observation that the embryo awakened its self-awareness. That young dragon was ready to hatch at any moment. If we had acted earlier and faster, perhaps the Greenland team could have succeeded, and those children would not have died."

"Why do I feel like the Crown Prince is an ally? He doesn't seem to be getting any benefit from this," Manstein pondered.

Chapter 412 Emergency Procedures

“Yes, he doesn’t get any direct benefits. In a sense, he’s like an ally we have hidden in the shadows,” Schneider said.

"Although he never personally takes the lead in combat, this time we dare not wait any longer! In order to minimize the risk, the principal ordered the Equipment Department to provide the highest level of technical support they could offer, and also had the Japanese branch of the Iwaryu Research Institute, whose technical level is no less than that of the Equipment Department, provide on-site support. According to those lunatics in the Equipment Department, even if the embryo suddenly hatches, they are very confident that they can safely evacuate the submersible from the seabed."

He paused, then pointed to another inconspicuous window on the main console screen, constantly displaying complex formulas and progress bars: "Besides, I secretly designed this myself."

It was a simple yet data-intensive interface, with a prominent progress bar in the center, currently showing green with a value of 32%. Below, complex algorithm formulas and real-time monitored heart rate signal parameters were scrolling rapidly.

"I analyzed the intensity and frequency changes of the heartbeat signals of the Greenland embryos before and after their discovery and the subsequent incident," Schneider explained.

"As the hatching process progresses, the embryo's heartbeat will exhibit a specific trend. Based on this model, I developed this software to calculate and predict the current hatching rate of the embryo by monitoring the heartbeat signal in the polar abyss in real time. Currently, it is 32%, green, which is a relatively safe initial stage. This software has been connected to the Moniach's main control system. Once an abnormal surge in the hatching rate is detected, reaching a dangerous threshold, the Moniach will immediately activate the emergency procedure and forcibly pull the Trieste up from the seabed using safety hooks. This is our last line of defense."

"You designed it yourself?" Manstein asked, somewhat surprised.

"This kind of thing absolutely cannot be left to those lunatics in the Equipment Department," Schneider said coldly. "They just need to do their job as technicians. This core procedure, which involves life-or-death judgments and timing, must be in our own hands."

Manstein stared at the green progress bar on the screen, then at Schneider's half-human, half-ghost face hidden in the shadows and mask, and at the barely visible, newly healed wound on his chest. A complex mix of emotions surged within him.

Finally, he reached out and slowly pulled out the Gattuso black card that had been stuck in the control panel, then pushed it in front of Schneider.

"Put the safety of the diving team before the mission objective of destroying the embryo," Manstein said, looking directly into Schneider's eyes. "If you agree with that, then I will not only not halt Project Dragon Abyss."

He pushed the black card forward again: "I will also give you this black card. It will give you 100% access to Norma's highest level of authority in the upcoming operations. You can use it to mobilize all the backup resources the Academy left in the waters near Japan and obtain the highest level of satellite and intelligence support. Perhaps it can increase your chances of winning or give you another way out at a critical moment."

Schneider's gaze fell on the black card, then he looked up at Manstein: "You come with orders from the Board of Trustees. If you don't carry them out and instead help me, you will be implicated, and may even be investigated by the Board of Trustees."

Manstein twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that was hardly a smile: "I'll take the blame for this sin. I know that in the eyes of a wicked person like you, I'm probably just an ordinary office worker who handles financial accounts and student misconduct, of average lineage and ability, and incomparable to my perverted father."

His tone became calm and firm: "But if it's just a sin of disobeying orders and possibly getting retaliated against by the school board, I think I'm qualified. I'll find a way to swallow this sin and digest it."

He extended his hand again, not to push the card, but to shake hands, looking calmly at Schneider.

Schneider stared at Manstein for a long time, and the cold, hardness in his sharp eyes softened slightly.

"Actually, from the moment you walked in here with the black card, your real purpose wasn't to stop the Dragon Abyss Project, right? You just needed a reason. A reason that was convincing enough for yourself to believe in and for which you were willing to take the risks."

Manstein did not deny it, but simply sighed softly: "I just need to confirm that you truly care about the lives of those young people. You did not make a rash, irresponsible decision, but rather the most painful choice you had to make after weighing all the options. If there really is no other, gentler option on the path of slaying the dragon, then I, as a civilian official, am not afraid to pay a price."

Schneider was silent for a moment. Then, he reached out, not to shake Manstein's hand, but to pick up the heavy black card and hold it tightly in his palm. The cold, metallic texture carried the power of the Gattuso family, as well as a heavy responsibility and trust.

Then he reached out his other hand and grasped Manstein's hand.

"So?" Schneider's voice was deep and clear.

"make a deal."

They gripped each other's hands tightly for a moment, then separated. No further words were spoken.

Just then—

"Bang!"

The heavy, soundproof door to the central control room was suddenly pushed open a crack by someone from the outside, and a slightly disheveled, gray-haired man poked his head in. He was wearing an eye mask that looked like a sleeping bag and was holding a steaming mug in his hand.

"Hmm? Schneider? Manstein? What are you two doing here in the dark in the middle of the night?" Professor Guderian asked sleepily, his tone full of pure curiosity. He had been drawn in by the faint light and indistinct voices coming from under the control room door.

"I was passing by and wanted to stop by the break room to get some hot milk to help me sleep, and then I heard some noises inside. What interesting topic are you discussing? Is it the new dragon script grammar or an ancient alchemical matrix? Count me in!"

Manstein and Schneider exchanged a quick glance, then spoke almost simultaneously, their tones distinctly different but equally firm in their denials:

"nothing."

"Some routine matters of the executive department."

Professor Guderian blinked, glancing at Schneider, whose serious expression and the slight unease about his shirt, then at Manstein, whose expression had returned to its usual calm but whose eyes held a complex look. He scratched his messy hair. "Oh, alright. You can continue. Would you like some milk? I heated it up a bit more," he said, shaking the cup in his hand.

“No, thank you,” Manstein said.

"No," Schneider replied succinctly.

"Alright, then goodnight, or good morning?" Professor Guderian muttered, pulling back and gently closing the door behind him. The sound of his slippers clattering in the corridor gradually faded away.

The control room returned to silence, with only the faint hum of the instruments running.

Schneider inserted the black card into the terminal in front of him, his fingers rapidly typing on the keyboard, accessing the new access interface. Manstein walked to the window, gazing at the still-deep night outside, and the faint light from Vice Principal Flamel's room on the distant clock tower.

The countdown continues. Only a few minutes remain before the final execution of the Dragon Abyss Plan.

Chapter 413 Chu Zihang: Go for it, go after the girl!

"Pressure test, round one! Pipeline pressure, 300 atmospheres, valves ready, open!"

"Circuit test! Load preparation, switch switching, start-up!"

"Power test, start!"

Inside the massive dock, the atmosphere was tense and efficient. Technicians from the Ganryu Research Institute, dressed in uniform gray overalls, were conducting intensive final-stage inspections around the strikingly painted red dragon, the Trieste deep-sea submersible.

Thousands of thick cables, like giant pythons, connect to the various ports of the submersible from all directions. Dozens of monitoring instruments, flashing different colored indicator lights, surround it, and data streams scroll rapidly on the screen.

This dock is located right next to the core power room of the Sumeru floating platform. Even through the thick concrete insulation walls, the astonishing heat generated by the boilers still seeps in, making the temperature inside the dock approach 40 degrees Celsius, and the air as stuffy as a steamer.

However, when the pressure test begins and high-pressure gas is violently ejected from specific pipes in the submersible, it creates a violent airflow like a Category 12 hurricane, stirring the hot air into a high-speed rotation and howling sound, accompanied by sharp and piercing ultrasonic noise.

Heat waves, strong winds, and noise—the harsh environment is enough to make ordinary people irritable and restless.

But every technician at the Geyser Research Institute seemed to have blocked out all sensory distractions. Their faces were devoid of any superfluous expression, only showing complete concentration. Sweat streamed down their foreheads, soaking their work clothes, but their operations and observations were precise and rapid, completely excluding all irrelevant factors.

This grand and industrially powerful scene inexplicably reminded Lu Mingfei, who was squatting in the corner of the dock, of a game he played as a child called "Sakura Wars".

In the story, the Imperial Combat Revue, composed of beautiful girls during the Taisho era, usually rehearses songs and dances in the theater. Whenever demons attack, the secret dock beneath the theater will crack open, and steam-powered airships will carry the girls, who are clad in magical armor, into the air to fight.

The scene before them—brightly lit, with technicians focused on their work and a massive submersible silently waiting—felt strangely similar. However, what they were about to face was not demons, but an ancient dragon slumbering in the deep sea.

Lu Mingfei sat cross-legged on the cold concrete floor, next to Chu Zihang, who sat in the same posture with his back straight. The beams of the high-intensity searchlights in the center of the dock cast two long, distinct shadows on the wall behind them.

Both of them had changed into tight-fitting black waterproof combat suits, the surface of which was covered with an extremely fine metallic membrane. According to Yuan Zhisheng, this electrostatic barrier made of special material could, to some extent, help them resist the mental impact or domain interference that the dragon embryo might emit.

Chu Zihang lowered his head, carefully wiping his weapon, a replica made by the equipment department and modeled after a Japanese sword. His movements were meticulous: first, he evenly applied a thin layer of special sword oil; then, he repeatedly polished the blade along its grain with a soft cloth; finally, he carefully wiped away any excess oil with a dry, soft cloth. Again and again, he repeated the process.

In fact, this knife doesn't require such meticulous daily maintenance. It's not a traditionally crafted, hammered steel product, but rather an industrial product made by the Equipment Department's metalworking team using a new type of superalloy for direct casting, then sharpening with high-precision machine tools, and finally polishing with a diamond wheel.

The material itself possesses hardness and toughness far exceeding that of traditional swords, making it difficult to suffer severe wear in ordinary combat. Even if damage does occur, the equipment department can manufacture an identical replacement in a very short time. Even if Chu Zihang wanted to learn the legendary Seven-Sword Style, the equipment department could likely provide the necessary supplies.

Chu Zihang did this simply out of habit. Listening to the rhythmic rustling sound of the whetstone and soft cloth rubbing against the blade, the sharpness in his golden eyes would subside slightly, and he would enter a state of near-meditation, much like a yoga practitioner achieving harmony of mind and body by listening to the sounds of nature.

Caesar did not sit with them. He stood on the steel platform beside the Trieste, personally participating in the final inspection. The stylish white captain's uniform he wore when boarding the ship had long since been removed due to the heat and was casually draped over the railing. Now he wore only a combat vest, revealing his well-defined chest and arms covered with a thin layer of sweat.

The spotlight illuminated his blond hair like a burning flame, and sweat streamed down the creases of his muscles. He was speaking loudly with several heads of the Ganryu Research Institute, mixing English, Italian, Japanese catchphrases he had picked up in the past few days, and simple Chinese words into a unique Caesar-esque command language.

Lu Mingfei couldn't hear the specifics, but he saw Caesar sometimes frowning as he inspected a component, sometimes giving a thumbs-up to a project that had passed smoothly, and sometimes patting the shoulder of the technician next to him with a smile and a few words of encouragement.

“Caesar likes it this way,” Chu Zihang suddenly spoke, stopping his work of wiping the blade and turning his gaze toward Caesar. “Teamwork, sweat and effort, a clear goal, and playing a core and important role in it all.”

He looked away and glanced at Lu Mingfei: "And the two of us probably can't give him that feeling."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, somewhat puzzled: "Caesar is the student council president, and you, senior, are the president of the Lionheart Club. You're both in charge of clubs. But you're so different from him. Senior, how do you manage such a large Lionheart Club with your style of completely disliking crowds and relying on your aura and strength to win people over?"

“I don’t manage the Lionheart Society. Lancelot manages the day-to-day affairs of the Lionheart Society. One thing he often reminds me is to speak as little as possible during group activities or when I need to speak to others.”

"Huh? Why?" Lu Mingfei was even more puzzled.

"Because no matter how hard I prepare, my charisma and appeal in public are no match for Caesar's. He was naturally good at it. Even if you just randomly pick a passage from the Bible, he can speak it with great passion and fervor, making people's blood boil. Lancelot believes that if I don't talk much, at least I can leave people with the impression of being an action-oriented, pragmatic, and a person of my word. But if I do talk, and the effect is not as good as Caesar's, then from the perspective of the organization's image promotion, the Lionheart Society will lose points in this aspect."

“You’ve got a knack for it.” Lu Mingfei’s lips twitched. “However, as the president, don’t you feel hurt in your pride to be evaluated and arranged like this by the vice president?”

“Because it’s an objective fact, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Chu Zihang shook his head, his gaze returning to the tall figure in the center of the light in the distance. “Actually, sometimes I admire Caesar quite a bit. No matter where he is or what situation he faces, he always seems to have a clear and definite goal. I rarely see him truly fearful or discouraged. Among a group of people, he is always the core who can inspire morale and unite people.”

“Man can choose how he lives. Caesar was a man who, from the depths of his heart, demanded of himself that he live like a hero, like a leader. This was not only because he was born into the Gattuso family and was born to be in a high position. It was also a choice of his personal will.”

"Alright, alright, senior, you're lecturing me again," Lu Mingfei waved his hand. "Why do you always sound so motivational lately? Are you trying to encourage your junior brother to be positive, or are you secretly improving your leadership skills so you can compete with Caesar in the campus club wars? I know, I understand. Character determines destiny, and a man should be self-reliant. I'll work hard and strive to live a more meaningful life."

"If I endure a few more years and become a senior student, I can start fooling the naive junior girls who have just entered the university."

Chu Zihang did not respond to his self-deprecating remark.

"I have a question, may I ask it?"

"Hmm? Go ahead and ask, senior brother, just don't ask me about calculus or Dragon Script grammar," Lu Mingfei replied casually.

Chu Zihang paused for two seconds, carefully choosing his words, and asked, "How are you and Frillian doing now?"

"Pfft—" Lu Mingfei almost choked on his own saliva. He never expected that Chu Zihang, a straight man who had never been interested in gossip and whose only interests were slaying dragons and getting stronger, would suddenly ask such a question.

He scratched his head in a flustered manner, his eyes darting around before he mumbled, "Uh, well... well, it's like that. It feels like we're a little closer than before? She'll help me cool down my tea, she'll quietly follow me to Akihabara, she'll... well, anyway, we're just a little bit closer than before? But I can't say anything special."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, and he almost mumbled a conclusion: "It's probably that kind of delicate state of 'more than friends, less than lovers'? I can't really explain it."

After speaking, he secretly glanced at Chu Zihang, wanting to see his senior's reaction. Did he think he was being presumptuous? Or did he think he was being indecisive?

Chu Zihang's expression remained unchanged, still that perpetually icy face.

A few seconds later, Chu Zihang nodded very slightly and uttered two words, "Keep it up."

Lu Mingfei was stunned. Just like that? No follow-up questions, no analysis, no advice, just "Good luck"?

But for some reason, this seemingly casual, almost perfunctory encouragement from Chu Zihang made Lu Mingfei feel inexplicably at ease, even sending a small warmth through him. It meant that Chu Zihang acknowledged the possibility of this matter, or rather, he acknowledged his efforts.

"Yes," Lu Mingfei nodded vigorously. "I will try my best."

In the center of the dock, the commands for inspections rose and fell. Heat waves and noise churned in the air. Chu Zihang lowered his head again and continued to wipe his long sword, which did not require such meticulous maintenance.

Lu Mingfei hugged his knees and looked towards the entrance of the dock, hoping to see through the heavy metal door the silver figure who should be waiting at the observation point with Yabuki Sakura.

Chapter 414 Happiness and Even Happier Lu Mingfei

For the past two days, Zhisheng had felt that the group of specialists from the main campus were behaving strangely, like a group of lunatics who might start singing and dancing around him at any time. They did not show the necessary seriousness and pressure in the face of the upcoming, extremely dangerous deep-sea mission.

But he made a mistake: the lesions of these three mental illnesses were actually completely different; they just happened to all exhibit a symptom of not being very tense.