Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

The store manager nodded frequently, very satisfied with Chu Zihang's rational, data-driven, and incisive analytical approach. It seemed that Chu Zihang's performance was even more in line with his professional expectations than Caesar's earlier analogy of the sea to women.

“Of course, language is a huge barrier,” Chu Zihang said, changing the subject. “If I were fluent in Japanese and could have in-depth conversations, it would significantly help improve performance. But language skills are hard to improve in the short term. Currently, relying on waiters to translate has obvious drawbacks. When a third party is present, guests will feel that it is a public conversation, and out of privacy and self-esteem, they are unwilling to reveal their deepest pain and grievances in public.”

“Yes, of course!” the store manager agreed wholeheartedly, patting the sofa armrest. “If I were a woman with a wounded heart, I would only want to whisper my feelings to a handsome young man like you when it’s just the two of us.”

“It’s not just that,” Chu Zihang shook his head, denying the store manager’s statement. “Based on my observation and analysis, what they subconsciously expect may not be just gentle listening and confiding.”

Store manager: "Oh?"

Chu Zihang's gaze sharpened: "What they are expecting is likely a feeling of being strongly focused on, or even oppressed to some extent. From the perspective of social psychology and criminal behavior, many of them may exhibit typical 'Stockholm syndrome' tendencies."

“Stockholm syndrome?” The shopkeeper repeated the tongue-twisting academic term, a keen interest showing on his face behind his sunglasses. “Such a professional term, I’d like to ask Ukyo to explain it to me properly.”

He adopted a humble attitude, asking questions without hesitation.

"Stockholm syndrome, also known as hostage syndrome," Chu Zihang explained, like a rigorous professor giving a lecture. "It was initially observed as a psychological phenomenon among hostages. When hostages completely lose faith in the police or outside rescue and feel desperate, their psychology undergoes subtle changes, turning them to depend on, or even develop feelings of liking and identification with, the hostage-taker."

“At this point, if the hostage-takers show even the slightest bit of kindness or attention to them, they may psychologically side with the hostage-takers and even help them achieve their goals in exchange for their own safety or special treatment.”

Chu Zihang paused briefly, allowing the store manager to process the concept, before connecting it to reality: "From a deeper psychological perspective, this is because humans, especially women, instinctively fear being completely abandoned and ignored when they are in extreme fear and feeling isolated and helpless. Although the hostage-taker is the perpetrator, he remains in the same enclosed space as the hostage and maintains a high level of and continuous attention to the hostage."

“This kind of constant, intense attention can sometimes create a distorted sense of closeness and dependence in the victims. In short, some women would rather be treated roughly and controlled than be completely ignored and disregarded. And what my guests complain about most when they are drunk is precisely the long-term neglect and indifference of their husbands.”

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" The shop manager couldn't help but clap his hands in praise, leaning forward so much that he almost left the sofa. "Ukyo, you've simply opened a whole new chapter in my understanding of the art of being a male escort! Keep going, I'd love to hear more!"

“Based on the analysis of the customers’ potential psychological state, we can try to address the problem directly,” Chu Zihang continued. “I don’t need to deliberately learn complicated Japanese to please them, nor do I need to force myself to act gentle and considerate. On the contrary, I can do the opposite and play the role that they might subconsciously expect: an unapproachable, indifferent, and somewhat rude caregiver.”

He elaborated on his strategy: "I don't need to understand all their cries. I just need to remain silent, expressionless, or occasionally show impatience. To them, I am like the hostage-taker in a hostage situation. I am in the same space as them, but I am difficult to get close to and maintain a high-pressure attitude towards them psychologically."

"Based on the psychological characteristics of Stockholm syndrome, they are likely to develop a distorted perception that 'he is deliberately being cold/rude to me because he cares about me,' thus feeling that they are receiving unique and extraordinary attention. And this feeling of being intensely noticed may be what they truly lack and crave deep down."

"Genius! Absolutely genius insight!" The shopkeeper was so excited he almost stood up. He patted Chu Zihang's shoulder hard. "Ukyo! You've shown me the infinite possibilities for Takamagahara's future!"

"To put this strategy into practice, I've only deliberately learned one sentence in Japanese these past few days," Chu Zihang said without changing his expression. "Whenever the guests have vented their emotions enough, or are trying to end their visit and get up to leave, I look at them and say this sentence in the most indifferent, impatient tone."

He paused, focused his voice, and then clearly, word by word, pronounced the Japanese sentence:

"It's the end of the day today. Jun's house is the same as the house. I'm crying. I'm sleeping in the house."

(Well then, that's enough for today. You should go home, have a good cry, and then get a good night's sleep.)

After reading it aloud, he added, "This kind of language, which sounds cold, even sarcastic and commanding, will further hurt the guests' self-esteem. But as mature women who may be successful in the workplace and have a strong personality, they are unlikely to be deterred by this rudeness. Instead, it will stimulate their competitive spirit and desire to conquer, so they will choose to stay, continue to order drinks, and try to change my attitude towards them. In this way, my spending will naturally increase."

Ukyo-sensei, you've completely evolved! This is your ultimate form, isn't it?!

Lu Mingfei, listening from behind, was completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. He had never seen Chu Zihang's image so tall, imposing, and radiant! This wasn't a gigolo; this was clearly a saint, a prophet, a master of applied psychology, and a strategic conqueror in the gigolo world! Senior, are you sure this is really your first time doing this?!

After Chu Zihang finished speaking, he nodded slightly to the store manager, then calmly got up and returned to the sofa, sitting down on the other side of Lu Mingfei.

Now, it's Lu Mingfei's turn.

He steeled himself and slowly stood up, his legs feeling like lead. It was a lose-lose situation; in a narrow encounter, the brave would prevail. He only hoped he wouldn't be the brave one, but rather the one who could quietly slip away.

Lu Mingfei was extremely anxious, as if fifteen buckets were bobbing up and down in his heart, making him flustered and confused.

Although Caesar and Chu Zihang were also novices, they were at least experienced in the field, and their own qualities gave them some degree of contact or natural attraction to women.

But what about Lu Mingfei? In his entire life, the only girls he's truly close to, the only girls he's ever had any real interaction with, are: Frillie, Chen Wenwen, Nuonuo, and Xia Mi. Two of their boyfriends are sitting right behind him right now.

The more he thought about it, the less confident he became. What is a woman? How do you seduce a woman? This was like Goldbach's Conjecture to him—a problem of the century! He had pondered it for so many years and still couldn't figure it out; how could he possibly understand it in just ten minutes of last-minute cramming?

Chapter 624 The Man's Flower Arrangement (Part 2)

"Little Sakura," the shopkeeper's deep voice rang out, calling out the flower's name that gave Lu Mingfei goosebumps.

"Here!" Lu Mingfei was startled and stood up straight as a reflex, his voice changing tone.

To everyone's surprise, the store manager's face, which was as hard as cast steel and never smiled, suddenly thawed like an iceberg, revealing an extremely warm, even "kind," smile. He patted the empty right side of the large, sea-blue velvet sofa where he was sitting.

“Sakura-kun, come here,” the shopkeeper’s tone became unusually gentle, with a touch of coaxing a child, “Sit here. This is a seat I specially reserved for you.”

The luxurious sofa was spacious enough for three people to sit side by side. The store manager himself sat in the middle, with the noble Himalayan cat curled up on his left, while the right side was specially reserved for Lu Mingfei! Neither Basara King, who ranked first in popularity among newcomers in Takamagahara's history, nor Ukyo Tachibana, who ranked second and analyzed things so logically, had received such an honor!

Caesar and Chu Zihang exchanged a surprised glance. The change in tone was too sudden.

Refusing was obviously out of the question. Lu Mingfei could only move his feet nervously, like a primary school student entering a teacher's office for the first time, and carefully sit down on the expensive velvet sofa, his hands nervously clenched between his knees, his body stiff.

The strong, almost pungent scent of cologne mixed with the smell of cigars emanating from the shop manager made him dizzy, but he desperately told himself: I mustn't collapse! If I did, I'd collapse into the shop manager's arms! The thought was too horrible to contemplate!

The shop manager casually draped his strong, powerful arm, adorned with an aquamarine ring, over Lu Mingfei's thin shoulder and gently stroked it twice, as if soothing a frightened little animal.

"At first glance, Sakura-kun, you," the shopkeeper's tone became wistful, carrying a sense of nostalgia, "just like when I was young."

Lu Mingfei felt a chill run down his spine, inwardly screaming: "Like you when you were young? Like a young, bald, muscular man with a whale tattoo on his head?! This aesthetic is just too unique!"

"They are all so naive, so sentimental, with many things hidden in their hearts, easily struck by a faint sadness, and harboring a tenderness that has nowhere to go," the shop manager continued in an aria-like tone.

Lu Mingfei secretly glanced at the shop manager's imposing, bear-like profile, and an extremely bizarre image uncontrollably surfaced in his mind: a huge bear wearing sunglasses, embracing a trembling otter, sitting on the edge of a field under the setting sun.

The bear gazed affectionately into the distance and said to the otter, "Otter, although this world is vast and full of people, only you, only you understand my sensitive and delicate heart."

He quickly shook his head to banish the terrible association.

“Youthful sentiments are always poetic,” the shopkeeper seemed to be inspired to recite in fluent, slightly classical Chinese, “At dawn we sit facing each other and talk of our longing; turning our heads to the orchid window, we call our beloved to play cricket fighting.”

After reciting the poem, he looked at Lu Mingfei with a hint of pride. "This is something I wrote randomly when I was young and obsessed with Chinese poetry. Sakura-kun, what do you think?"

Lu Mingfei knew nothing about poetry, but he reacted quickly, slowly widening his eyes and trying his best to put on an exaggerated expression as if he had heard an eternal masterpiece, received a sudden enlightenment, and had his soul cleansed. He nodded vigorously, as if he had already deeply understood the true meaning of the poem: "Good! Wonderful! Excellent poem! Profound in meaning and sincere in emotion! Shopkeeper, you are truly a man of both literary and martial talents!"

The shop manager was pleased, his smile widening. He then changed the subject, adopting a casual, conversational tone: "Sakura-kun, do you have a girlfriend now?"

"Not yet," Lu Mingfei answered honestly, immediately regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth.

This is as foolish as answering "no" when the interviewer asks, "Do you have relevant work experience?" Especially when compared to two experienced colleagues!

However, the shop manager did not show any disappointment or disdain. Instead, he softly praised, "That's wonderful, wonderful. Youthful sentiments are always poetic. A poem is most beautiful before it is written on paper, full of infinite possibilities and imagination. Once it is written and its form is set, it may become cliché."

He pressed on with great interest, "So, Sakura-kun, is there a girl you like right now?"

Caesar and Chu Zihang exchanged bewildered glances again. When the store manager interviewed them, the atmosphere was tense, a mix of philosophical debate and psychological analysis; how come with Lu Mingfei, it was all so gentle and friendly, like an elder chatting about their juniors' love lives? The difference in treatment was too obvious!

"Yes, I do have that," Lu Mingfei said, remembering Fujiwara Kansuke's advice to be honest and also wanting to show that he wasn't completely inexperienced, so he reluctantly admitted it.

"Oh?" The shop manager perked up immediately, his face beaming. "Let me guess, you like the mature, older sister type, right? Sakura-kun, you look like the kind of boy who likes mature, independent, caring, or mysterious older sisters."

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but marvel: This old whale has indeed seen countless people and has a sharp eye! He even saw through his hidden preference! Fujiwara Kansuke-senpai was right; you really can't lie to the shopkeeper!

Come to think of it, whether it was Chen Wenwen, the unattainable president of the literature club in high school, or Frilian, who brought him countless shocks and a sense of dependence after entering school, they were indeed the type who seemed more mature than him and made him unconsciously want to look up to and rely on them.

He didn't know any real loli at all. Zero looked like a cold doll, but the moment she suddenly transformed at the ball, her aura was so strong that even Nono was overshadowed. She was completely queen-level, and had nothing to do with loli.

"Have you ever confessed your feelings to them?" the store manager continued to ask, his tone just like a gossipy uncle next door.

"Not yet," Lu Mingfei's voice was even lower, completely lacking confidence.

"Why don't you confess your feelings?" The shop manager's tone suddenly became serious, with a hint of admonition. "Maybe that girl is waiting for you to confess? If you don't say anything, do you expect her to go through the trouble of guessing your thoughts? Girls, after all, are creatures that are easily frightened and insecure, especially when they haven't fully grown up and their hearts aren't hard enough."

He fell into reminiscence, his voice somewhat ethereal, "So, a girl's first boyfriend should be a brave and fearless warrior, taking her out to see the vast world and giving her a sense of security. Unfortunately, for most girls, their first boyfriend is often a tragedy."

He sighed, "Because when men are young, especially when they think they understand love, they are mostly big fools."

For some reason, these words touched a chord in Lu Mingfei's heart. A joke he had seen online, from an unknown source, slipped uncontrollably from his lips:

"Many beautiful women love fools, and many fools don't cherish them."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them, fearing that his vulgar statement would offend the shop manager who was feeling sentimental.

Unexpectedly, the shop manager paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, patting Lu Mingfei's shoulder hard until he grimaced: "Well said! Very poetic, Sakura-kun! The words may be rough, but the meaning is sound! Isn't life just a journey full of regrets and missed opportunities?"

After laughing, the shop manager suddenly turned around, his face, clad in huge sunglasses, close to Lu Mingfei's, looking down at him condescendingly. Even through the lenses, Lu Mingfei could feel an extremely sharp gaze, seemingly capable of piercing through the heart, firmly locked onto him.

The gentle, casual atmosphere of just moments before abruptly changed, and an invisible pressure returned, even greater than before.

"Now, Sakura-kun, listen carefully to my question." The shopkeeper's voice returned to its original deep and authoritative tone, each word clearly striking Lu Mingfei's eardrums.

What is love without regrets?

"None?" Lu Mingfei instinctively wanted to answer.

This question sounds much simpler and more direct than Caesar's "Theory of the Sea" and Chu Zihang's "Application of Psychology." It's like the free essay question at the end of a political exam, where you can freely express yourself and spout some clichés like "mutual understanding," "growing together," and "growing old together" to reach the word count and pass.

However, he had barely uttered a word when the shopkeeper, wearing an aquamarine ring, gently placed his hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“Sakura-kun,” the shopkeeper’s voice was soft, “Fujiwara Kansuke should have already told you. There are no standard answers here. You only need to, and must, answer the questions with your true feelings.”

He leaned forward slightly, making the pressure even stronger: "What is unwavering love? What is 'unwavering'? What is 'love'?"

He slowly and clearly repeated these three keywords, "Sakura-kun, you should think it through before you speak."

He paused, then added as a final pronouncement: "You only have one chance."

Lu Mingfei froze, and cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead and back.

What seemed like a casual chat was actually just a setup! The store manager dug up his meager romantic history in just a few words, and then threw out this question, which was probably the most fatal and impossible for him to answer!

How can someone who has never been in a serious relationship, has only had a few unrequited crushes that ended without a trace, and hasn't even touched the edge of love, understand unwavering love? How can they define love? Let alone combine these elements to articulate unwavering love?

Caesar and Chu Zihang, sitting on the sofa behind, were also deeply moved. They now understood that Lu Mingfei wasn't receiving preferential treatment; on the contrary, he might be facing his greatest challenge yet. The store manager was indeed a top expert in this industry; seemingly casual conversation was actually a calculated move, striking right at Lu Mingfei's emotional novice's weakness and blind spot.

"Only one chance"—the subtext beneath these calm words is undoubtedly a blatant threat.

If you answer incorrectly, you'll undoubtedly be kicked out immediately, right?

Lu Mingfei felt his throat go dry, his heart pounding like a drum, and his mind blank. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Cold sweat soaked his back.

Chapter 625 Sakura, you're amazing!

His mind was in complete chaos. Lu Mingfei felt like a gambler pushed to the edge of a cliff, facing an unfathomable abyss of unrepentant love, yet he had no decent cards to play. He desperately scrambled through fragments of his memories about love, trying to piece together an answer that could fool him.

Zhao Menghua and Chen Wenwen? That meticulously planned confession in the movie theater, seemingly romantic, what was the result? Zhao Menghua turned around and got involved with Liu Miaomiao again, and Chen Wenwen eventually found love. What kind of "no regrets" is that? It's more like a grand but ultimately disastrous adolescence, with Liu Miaomiao's pointless heartbreak in the middle.

No, that won't do.

Caesar and Nono? It was more like a dramatic encounter between two individuals with an aura of madness, a whirlwind romance, intense and passionate. But how much did Nono truly love Caesar? This is a question even Caesar himself might not be entirely certain of, so how can it be considered a testament to their unwavering love?

Their love was like a magnificent yet dangerous adventure, with an uncertain ending. How could Lu Mingfei, a landlubber who had never even been on a boat, dare to make any comments?

His own parents? Lu Mingfei's lips twitched. His parents' love story was practically a myth to him, a myth that had ended before he was even born. He could barely remember what they looked like, let alone understand how they could be so devoted. It was a complete blank.

Isn't there a decent love story we can learn from?

In a daze, a blurry figure quietly appeared on the edge of his chaotic thoughts.

Frillian? Lu Mingfei himself couldn't quite explain it. They shared a connection deeper than ordinary friends, yet it was never explicitly stated, like viewing the scenery across the river through the morning mist—vague and distant.