Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

"Two things," Lu Mingfei said, holding up two fingers, determined to seize the initiative before the other party could launch any kind of gossip attack. "First, this is required for the mission, not because the three of us have any special fetishes; second, I'm not the only one acting as a gigolo here, Boss and Chu Zihang are doing the same!"

What is a teammate? A teammate is someone who shares hardships and goes down the river together. Lu Mingfei would normally disdain betraying his teammates, but when the three of them stood side by side under the neon sign, dressed in backless suits, velvet blazers without underwear, and elegant Eastern-style shirts, "going down the river together" had become the only option.

"I know, I could guess just by looking at the three of you. All dressed so nicely, with such trendy hairstyles, so glamorous," Fingel said pitifully. "Please, stop showing off, okay? Can you get me something to eat first?"

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "I'm not trying to show off, okay? Please understand the situation before you start talking nonsense." But seeing him standing in the rain, shivering slightly, he still suppressed his temper and asked, "What are you doing here? How did you get into this state?"

“How would I know?” Fingel sighed. “I was doing an internship, wasn’t I? I chose Japan as my internship location because I thought it had hot springs and beautiful girls who walked around with bare legs all year round… So I applied for an internship at the Japanese branch. They gave me an office job, organizing files every day, and I was living a very comfortable life. I really didn’t do anything bad. I went online on time every day to do my daily tasks and write reports. I even fixed their coffee machine when it broke down.”

"But then one morning I suddenly couldn't log in—Norma's terminal denied me access, I couldn't even log in as a guest. I called the academy, but the call wouldn't go through; I sent emails, but no one replied. My credit card wouldn't work. My safe harbor reserve fund account was also frozen, I couldn't withdraw a single penny. Then the people from the Japanese branch started chasing me, not the kind of chasing you when they invite you for tea, but the kind that comes to your door with knives without saying a word, wielding knives at my neck!"

Fingel was holding onto Lu Mingfei's arm, looking like he might collapse at any moment.

"I've been homeless for two whole weeks, scavenging for food in garbage dumps every day! I've picked up bread crusts thrown away at the back door of convenience stores and fried chicken scraps dumped at fast food restaurants. Don't be afraid, get me some food first, and I won't say a word when I get back to the college. Look how starving I am, don't you understand the principle of laughing at poverty but not at prostitution?"

"You really don't know anything?" Lu Mingfei asked incredulously. He thought to himself that it was a good thing that the academy still had some remaining influence in Japan, but it seemed that the only use of these remaining influences was to consume the limited military rations.

“I really don’t know anything. I didn’t do anything wrong. Those people from the Japanese branch are just chasing me for no reason. Do you think it has anything to do with me touching the female secretary’s butt when I was touring the branch office? Surely the Japanese aren’t that feudal and conservative?” Fingel seemed to suddenly remember something.

Although Lu Mingfei really wanted to kick this guy in the face, seeing him so starved and miserable, everyone felt bad for him.

He sighed, and he and Chu Zihang each carried Fingel onto one side of his arm and carried him into the store, where they sat down at the bar.

Caesar instructed the waiter to bring him a towel to wipe his face, and Chu Zihang held it in both hands to pour him a glass of warm water, afraid that he was too hungry and his hands would tremble and he wouldn't be able to catch it.

“Fellow junior brothers…” Fingel held his water glass, tears welling up in his eyes.

“You’ve been implicated because of our situation,” Lu Mingfei said, sitting down opposite him. “This matter is quite complicated, and I’ll explain it to you slowly later.”

“Junior brother…” Fingel sighed again.

“Actually, we’re not having it any easier than you…” Lu Mingfei sighed as well.

These past few days, he's been hunted by the Snake Clan and surrounded by biker gangs, and now he's wanted by the entire Tokyo underworld. He's got a lot of grievances to vent to and is looking for someone reliable to talk to.

"What the hell are you talking nonsense for? How many times have I told you? Are you going to order me something to eat or not?!" Fingel couldn't hold back any longer. He jumped up and roared like a lion, making the row of crystal glasses on the bar clang loudly. "Are you trying to starve me to death so you can silence me?"

Four large bowls of tonkotsu ramen were served. The waiter had asked the kitchen to start cooking again. He didn't know that Basara King and Ukyo had already had a late-night snack, so he prepared one for each of the two top male hosts. As for Sakura, since she was a good friend of the top male hosts, she naturally got to enjoy the late-night snack as well.

Four bowls of noodles were neatly arranged on the bar counter, steaming hot. A thick layer of pork bone broth floated on the surface of the soup, and slices of char siu pork were piled high on top. A halved soft-boiled egg lay on top of the noodles, the yolk half-cooked and the edges trembling slightly.

Fingel was so touched that he kept saying how thoughtful they were. They knew one bowl wasn't enough for him, so they brought him four bowls. He also asked for four servings of shrimp tempura, two servings of miso soup, and two more bowls of rice if there was any left.

The waiter was dumbfounded and looked at Caesar with a questioning gaze.

Caesar gestured for him to do so with his eyes, and the waiter bowed deeply and said, "I understand, senior," before turning and rushing to the kitchen.

This was the pomp and circumstance of the most popular male escort in the shop. Caesar had a momentary daze, as if he were still sitting in the student council president's office signing expense reports.

Fingel didn't need anyone to ask him to do anything. He took a bottle of unopened Yamazaki whisky from the liquor cabinet, unscrewed the cap, poured half a glass, and slurped down the ramen like a whirlwind while drinking the strong liquor.

He devoured the food in a flash, not even having time to exchange a word with his fellow apprentices. The only sounds in the bar were the slurping of noodles, the crunching of char siu being bitten off, and the gurgling of soup being poured down his throat.

In less than three minutes, all three bowls of ramen, soup and all, disappeared into his mouth, leaving the bowls so clean they looked like they had just been washed.

"I'm alive!" He swallowed the last mouthful of soup, slammed the bowl down on the bar, sat up straight, and gently patted his slightly protruding stomach from under his crew neck shirt. A sweet smile, like that of a baby who has just finished nursing, appeared on his face.

"Shall we take a bath?" Caesar suggested.

The strong odor emanating from Fingel, a mixture of rainwater, sweat, cheap fast food grease, and fermenting garbage, was so intense that it made people hold their breath even across the entire bar counter.

The combined scents of their cologne and perfume couldn't mask the stench that seemed to rise straight from hell.

"Let me catch my breath, let me catch my breath," Fingel said, raising one hand as if to slow down, and slowly stood up while holding onto the edge of the bar. He rubbed his stomach with the other hand. "I ate a little too fast, I'm stuffed. I haven't had a proper meal in two weeks, my stomach isn't used to it."

“There’s one bowl of ramen left, and you also have shrimp tempura and miso soup on their way,” Chu Zihang said, pointing to the untouched bowl of ramen on the far right.

“That’s for the next meal. I’ll take a break, go to the bathroom, and then I can make room for tempura and miso soup,” Fingel said, his expression as serious as if he were deploying the next phase of a combat mission.

He is not boasting, but in the world of dining, he is undoubtedly a master figure since the founding of Kassel College.

During a "Big Eater Challenge" held in the cafeteria, he devoured eight servings of roasted pork knuckle and twelve bowls of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes by himself, causing the cafeteria manager to urgently revise the buffet pricing overnight and add an extra clause to the freshman handbook: "Finger von Frings is not allowed to participate in any form of all-you-can-eat event."

"It's so good to see you all. I've never felt so genuinely like you're my brothers before." Fingel sat back down on the bar stool, his eyes full of fawning after a hearty meal, like a watchdog that had just been stuffed with top-quality meat bones and was frantically patting the floor with its tail. "You three all look fantastic, and your clothes are especially handsome."

That's blatant lying.

Aside from Lu Mingfei's sexy suit with his back completely exposed, Caesar was wearing a purple velvet blazer with no shirt underneath, only two red suspenders cinching his chest muscles, completely braless; Chu Zihang wasn't much better off, wearing a semi-transparent gauze shirt under his black patterned kimono jacket from the store, with a white rose pinned to his collar by some customer.

None of the uniforms in this store meet the aesthetic standards of a normal person.

"Chairman, this outfit really has an Italian flair, the red suspenders are especially sexy. Only someone with your chest muscles can pull it off. That upright and taut look immediately reminds me of Alexander McQueen!" Fingel praised Caesar repeatedly, then turned his attention to Chu Zihang. "President, this outfit is also very eye-catching, with the air of an oriental lady. I don't even know how to describe it, both charming and dignified! As for Lu Mingfei, you are simply the embodiment of elegance! A backless dress suits you so well. All those stars walking the Cannes red carpet are now obsessed with backless dresses!"

"Can you speak like a human?" Lu Mingfei asked, rubbing his forehead.

"You three are such sissies..."

"You are absolutely not allowed to mention this when you get back!" The three of them leaned out at Fingel at the same time, creating an imposing aura, just like three hungry tigers pouncing on a stray lamb they had just picked up from the rain.

Lu Mingfei's eyes were particularly sharp. After spending so many days in the shop, he had long since evolved from the innocent young man who would blush at the slightest glance into a professional gigolo who dared to blow kisses to customers while wearing a backless dress. At this moment, the only thing that could still break through his defenses was Fingel's mouth.

Fingel hunched his shoulders, crouching on the bar stool, and smiled cautiously at them: "How could that be? We paparazzi do what we're paid for. I ate the ramen you treated me to, so of course I have to keep your secret. But I'm telling you the truth, Caesar. I've never thought you were so handsome. The style of being a male escort is just perfect for you. I think you only truly let loose and found your second spring in life after arriving in Takamagahara."

Caesar remained silent for a few seconds, then began to seriously consider that silencing the witnesses on the spot might be the safest intelligence control plan.

"Business first," Chu Zihang was the first to drop his imposing demeanor, sitting back down at the bar and picking up his half-finished bowl of noodles. "Now we finally have a fifth person in Japan. Can we find anyone else?"

“The Japanese branch has betrayed us,” Caesar explained to Fingel, his joking expression fading. “We’re completely cut off from headquarters now. Norma’s terminal has been blocked from the inside by the Japanese branch, all safe havens are disabled, and credit cards and backup accounts have been frozen. Our situation is pretty much the same as yours—except we’re not as starving as you are.”

“Worse still, the Japanese branch may have already obtained the remains of the god, and those remains still have the potential to revive. They are slowly incubating within Japan and have already developed the ability to act independently,” Lu Mingfei said in a low voice. “Besides the Snake Clan, there is another force, the Demon Clan, who are also looking for it. Both sides want to control that thing that may awaken at any time. We have been drawn into this matter these past few days, and we have almost lost our lives several times… We have endured humiliation and hardship to uncover these clues.”

"You're all dressed so smartly, with plenty of food, drink, and even women throwing themselves at you. What kind of humiliation is this?" Fingel scoffed, picking up a piece of char siu he'd stolen from Lu Mingfei's bowl and stuffing it into his mouth. "I know all that. I guessed the Japanese branch was no good from the second day of the hunt. Even if a normal regional branch had a mole, they could never completely block the entire network under Norma's nose. Only one of their own, and at the highest level, could do something like that."

"How did you know?" Chu Zihang asked, somewhat surprised.

The Japanese branch is essentially a yakuza organization, a top-secret fact within Kassel College, requiring A-level or higher access to retrieve complete files from Norma's database.

Fingel's access level is F, the lowest level ever granted by Kassel College, so low that he can't even open the access card for the restricted area in the library.

Chapter 838 Kazama Ruri Revisited

"Did you think I came to Japan just for an internship?" Fingel smiled smugly, tossing his greasy long hair behind him. "The Snake Clan has always believed that they are the true rulers of Japan. Their family history can be traced back to the era of Emperor Jimmu. In their eyes, the Emperor is nothing more than a puppet pushed to the forefront, and the Prime Minister is just an employee. Of course, such a family is unwilling to be relegated to a mere branch under the Academy. The only reason they have waited until today to betray the Academy is because they are afraid of one person."

“Headmaster,” Caesar immediately understood.

"Yes. In their eyes, the academy is just a group of educators, except for the principal. They think the principal is a thug, a thug armed with a suit and a sports car. If the Japanese don't behave, the principal will pull out a folding knife and teach them a lesson; if they dare to resist, the principal will switch to a handheld rocket launcher."

Fingel picked up the Mizukuri whiskey from the bar and took a sip. The cool liquor mixed with water slid down his throat, and he squinted his eyes contentedly.

“The Japanese have a deep-seated admiration for violence, so they fear the principal but don’t dislike him. In their value system, the fact that a strong person is willing to come and reason with you while wielding a folding knife and a rocket launcher is itself a form of respect.”

After imagining Angers standing in front of Genji Heavy Industries wearing a custom Savile Row suit and carrying an AT-4 rocket launcher, the three nodded in unison.

The principal was indeed that kind of person—well-dressed and polite, looking no different from any old-fashioned gentleman when sitting in a high-class club in London drinking tea, yet you always felt that he might pull a rocket launcher from under the tablecloth and put it on your head at any moment.

“But the principal knows that personal authority alone can’t keep the Japanese branch under control for long. So for the past few years, he’s been secretly sending people here to infiltrate Japan under the guise of internships. I’m one of those infiltrators. My mission is to gather intelligence on the Snake Clan.” Fingel tossed his long hair and puffed out his chest. “You think I just came to Japan to look at pretty girls’ legs? You’re underestimating me!”

Lu Mingfei and the other two exchanged glances.

Fingel von Frings, the record holder for the lowest GPA in the history of Kassel College, is a legendary loser who has failed courses one after another and has been held back a year. No grade would accept him. He is actually a secret agent planted in Japan by the principal himself.

This experience is like your orange cat, which you've raised for ten years, suddenly opening its mouth and telling you that it's actually an undercover agent sent by the National Security Agency to monitor you.

"So what intelligence have you gathered?" Caesar asked.

"I've got my hands on all the scandals and secrets of the heads of the families!" Fingel pulled a USB drive, sealed in layers of waterproof plastic bags, from the hidden pocket of his shirt, holding it up like a medal. "The newly appointed head of the Ryoma family is actually in love with the Sakurai family's matriarch. That old ninja from the Fuma family goes to the members-only club in Ginza every week to see the same girl. Tachibana Masamune supposedly had a cat in Russia when he was young, which he later cooked himself. Don't be afraid! If the Snake-Headed Eight Families go too far, we'll expose their lecherous faces to the media! We'll drag them down from their thrones!"

“That’s not the kind of intelligence we need. What we urgently need is the connection between the Snake Clan and the Demon Clan, the exact location of the Well of Corpses, the true identities of Tachibana Masamune and Bondarev, and the weaknesses of the King.” Lu Mingfei slumped weakly on the bar, poking at the half-melted ice in his glass with a straw.

"The Ghost Clan... the Well of Corpses and all that, I only just heard you guys mention it. What? Is that information really that important? More important than the scandalous affairs of these big shots?" Fingel's eyes widened, still holding the USB drive in his hand, but his expression had already switched from "Wait for me to unleash my ultimate move" to "My ultimate move seems to have been misdirected."

"Nonsense! I just mentioned the remains of a god, right? Whether it's the Serpent Clan or the Fierce Demon Clan, everyone is currently searching for that thing. In front of a Dragon King of the White King's caliber, who has the mind to care about their private affairs? Have you even figured out the situation, brother?" Lu Mingfei raised his eyelids and looked at his innocent-looking face.

"White White White... White King?" Fingel stammered as he jumped up from the bar stool, nearly dropping the USB drive from his palm.

“Yes. That thing that is about to awaken is perhaps the most formidable enemy the Secret Society has ever encountered. The Japanese call it—God,” Caesar said slowly.

"This is really troublesome. I always thought the principal sent me to Japan to ruin those old geezers' reputations and force them to obey the college under public pressure... So I spent all my time installing hidden cameras and listening devices. I installed sixteen cameras in the bathroom, eight listening devices in the conference room, and I have a huge collection of their indecent photos. Since they're all useless now, why don't we take them out and have a look? Some of the family heads have tastes that are quite worthy of academic research."

Fingel placed the USB drive he was holding on the bar counter.

"Are you really not sent by the Snake Clan to smear us?" Lu Mingfei raised his eyelids to look at him.

"No, I was obviously sent by the principal to sabotage you..."

"Ugh... this isn't the time for arguing, is it?"

"You started this fight, and seeing how eager you are to fight, I was afraid you'd be embarrassed if I didn't cooperate."

"Alright, alright," Chu Zihang said, raising his hands in a downward gesture to forcefully cut off the spiraling, pointless conversation. "Our encounter with Senior Brother Fingel isn't entirely a bad thing..."

“You already think it’s pretty much a bad thing, right? You’ve clearly said it!” Fingel pointed directly at Chu Zihang.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." Chu Zihang, thoroughly exasperated by this lunatic, cleared his throat calmly and changed his wording. "In a sense, this is indeed a good thing. Senior Brother Fingel brought a very important piece of information: the Principal was already aware of the situation in Japan. This indicates that the Principal had planted people beforehand. These people don't communicate with each other, but each of them is gathering intelligence related to the Snake Clan. We also have a chance to find more companions like Senior Brother Fingel who are trapped in Japan."

“If we can find a way to let them know our location without being detected by the Snake Clan’s surveillance network, it might attract more of our companions to join us. Right now, what we lack most is manpower and intelligence channels,” Caesar continued.

“This plan is excellent. We should stay here and wait for reinforcements. The hiding place you chose is absolutely brilliant. No matter how many spies the Snake Clan sends out, they will never guess that we are hiding right under their noses, inside Tokyo’s largest host club. Moreover, hiding in places like this is a long-standing tradition.” Fingel had already voluntarily considered himself the fifth member of this temporary special operations team.

"What tradition? Whose tradition?" Lu Mingfei was taken aback.

"It's a Japanese tradition. During the Meiji Restoration, those reformers would hide in brothels all over the country to hold meetings, using the chaotic crowds in the brothels to conceal their whereabouts and evade the Shinsengumi's pursuit. Sakamoto Ryoma ran into the assassin at Teradaya in Kyoto, which was one of the most famous geisha houses at the time."

Fingel looked around at the magnificent dance floor and private boxes in the Takamagahara Hall.

"You guys are something else! Not only did you hide in a brothel, but you also went into the business yourselves. That doubles your secrecy! Who would have thought that the special operations team sent by Kassel College to Tokyo to investigate the White King's resurgence would all become male prostitutes? Using yourselves as bullets to infiltrate the establishment. I'm impressed by your dedication."

"Since we hid so well, how did you find us, Senior Brother?" Lu Mingfei suddenly felt a pang of unease. The number of people who knew about their arrival in Takamagahara from beginning to end couldn't be counted on one hand. Caesar wouldn't tell anyone, Chu Zihang wouldn't, and neither would the Humpback Whale or Frilian.

“I’m here to join you guys. You’re all so popular right now, don’t exclude me.” Fingel rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming eagerly under the bright green LED lights. “What do you think of me? Will the manager like me? I need a stage name to fit in your industry, right? How about Heracles? Women will immediately picture me as a muscular ancient Greek hero, and they’ll get excited just hearing my name!”

"I think you're the one who got excited first," Lu Mingfei said expressionlessly. "I'm asking how you found us, so listen to me, okay, uncle!"

"When I was chatting with girls in the internet cafe..." Fingel said, his eyes darting around, as if he was reluctant to go into details.

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "You're so poor that you can't even afford to eat, and you even have to pick up leftover hamburgers that people throw away on the street, yet you still have spare money to spend the night at an internet cafe picking up girls."

“Someone I didn’t recognize posted a picture of the three of you looking really cool in this uniform. He said he was your colleague and gave me the address of this store, so I followed the address here. That guy has pretty good taste; he even added at the end, ‘Your junior colleagues will treat you to dinner,’” Fingel said.

"What's that ID called?" Chu Zihang's face suddenly darkened.

"Ruri Kazama and such, that's too effeminate."

"It's not gentlemanly to casually criticize someone's stage name."

The waiter silently emerged from behind the bar with a tray, placing four servings of golden-brown, crispy shrimp tempura and two bowls of steaming red miso soup steadily in front of Finger. The shrimp tails peeked out from the batter, which was thin, crisp, and translucent, not yet softened by the heat.