A Maybach on a rainy night? Talk to my Levadin!

Can life really be this exhilarating?

He pinched his thigh hard, trying his best to keep his expression straight. No, he couldn't laugh now...

"Walk"

Lu Mingfei was terrified that he would give himself away if he said even one more word; his smile was now harder to suppress than AK's.

The Zero Guards immediately and tacitly protected Lu Mingfei in the middle, and the group walked out of the classroom.

Along the way, students in the corridor craned their necks, casting curious glances at him.

The moment Lu Mingfei stepped out of the teaching building, he was completely stunned by the scene before him—the entire school was under martial law. Along both sides of the main road of the campus, there was a heavily armed guard every ten meters. They stood tall and had sharp eyes, guarding the entire campus tightly.

All students were isolated in the teaching building and could only watch from afar through the windows. Meanwhile, dozens of police cars and armored vehicles were parked on the open ground of the campus, their red and blue lights flashing, creating a scene so spectacular that it was hard to believe.

Soon, the group arrived in front of an enormous car—a clearly specially modified, oversized Cadillac SUV, with several guards already inside.

After Lu Mingfei was escorted into the car, the convoy began to move forward in an orderly fashion. The guards who had been on guard duty quickly and systematically withdrew, leaving only excited and puzzled students standing there, chattering incessantly about what had just happened. At this moment, Lu Mingfei's name became the hottest topic at Shilan Middle School.

"It's really troublesome for you to waste public resources by making such a big fuss to help us with this nonsense."

At the construction site, Zhao Zizhan bowed and shook hands with the middle-aged man in front of him, expressing his sincere gratitude.

To be honest, wasting so many resources to make a cup just for a little boy is strictly speaking a violation of discipline. I just wanted him to cooperate a little, but I didn't expect it to turn into such a big fuss.

He felt quite embarrassed.

The middle-aged man shook his head: "No, your and your team's research results are crucial to us. Moreover, my job is to provide you with the greatest possible support using all available resources. Doing so is also part of my job."

While the two were exchanging pleasantries, the convoy and helicopter arrived at the construction base. As the SUV doors opened, Lu Mingfei's legs went weak, and he was practically carried there.

"Bro, how did you do that? This...this is incredible!"

Lu Mingfei was truly impressed. Shi Lan Hu Baoyi lived up to his reputation; he was so genuine.

"Does it feel good?"

Zhao Zizhan asked with a smile.

"Of course it feels great! I'm so happy I can barely stand up!"

"Since you've had your fun, let's have a chat," Zhao Zizhan said, pulling Lu Mingfei into his arms from Ling's.

“All the joy you feel today comes not only from my face, but also from the country’s attention to you, Lu Mingfei.” He put his arm around Lu Mingfei’s shoulder and led him to look at the construction site in front of them.

"Today, soldiers, police, spies, and key personnel called Zhao Menghua's home to pressure him into having this time. What do you think their motives are?"

"All of this today is not just to help you fill a cup properly, but also to help you say goodbye to your past. Lu Mingfei, your dreams should not be realized by me."

When your abilities can't yet support your dreams, then calm down and hone your skills. Dreams aren't just empty talk; they're built step by step, with each step representing a gradual accumulation. Past experiences are merely the prelude to a piece of music; what lies ahead is the real beginning.

"Think it over carefully, Lu Mingfei. You're going to do something big."

PS: This part about my youthful dreams and bragging is finally finished. I wrote it while digging my toes into the ground. Now, let's move on to the next chapter!

Chapter 214 Entering the Dragon Gate.

Longmen is located at the end of the northwestern waterway of the Great Yan Dynasty.

It is precisely this unique geographical location that has made Longmen the trade gateway between the Great Yan and the various countries of Terra.

Here, banks from various countries have set up shop, and the glass curtain walls reflect dazzling light under the sun. Businesses from all over the world come and go, making Longmen a mega-city.

As the business grew, the original land in Longmen became insufficient, so Longmen has been continuously expanding over the years.

This means opportunity, it means getting ahead, it means making a lot of money.

This city, born of trade, is like a giant magnet, attracting capital and opportunities from all over the continent. Some people become rich overnight with a single ore transaction, while others build business empires with overseas orders. "Go to Longmen and try your luck" has become a slogan for countless Terrans to change their destiny.

Lungmen doesn't exactly reject the infected, and because it's quite close to the Ursus border, a large number of infected, refugees, and wilderness wanderers come here with dreams, hoping to carve out a way out for themselves.

Behind the prosperity lies a sharp contradiction brought about by urban expansion. In the past decade, Longmen's territory has expanded outward by two kilometers every year, but land prices have skyrocketed. The rent for shops in the core area of ​​the inner ring is enough for an ordinary family to save for ten years without eating or drinking, let alone buy a house. As a result, those who have dreams but no money can only be forced to flock to the edge of the city.

On the outer ring road of Longmen, the scene is completely different from that on the inner ring road. If you go south along the newly built ring road and cross the "development zone boundary" surrounded by barbed wire, you can see rows of temporary sheds built with wooden planks, iron sheets and plastic sheets.

Most of the residents here are migrants who have come to Longmen from all over the country—some are farmers who fled their hometowns due to war, some are infected people who have been discriminated against, and some are scavengers who have wandered in the wilderness for most of their lives.

To build a "home" that could shelter them from the wind and rain, the men would sneak into nearby construction sites under the cover of night and carry back a few scrap steel bars and a few broken cement slabs; the women would collect discarded fabrics and sew them into simple door curtains.

Of course, the vast majority of them were infected.

Sometimes, the roar of excavators would suddenly echo through the shantytown—that meant developers were clearing out "idle land." People could only hurriedly pack their bags, taking their pots, pans, and meager belongings, and migrate to more remote areas to rebuild their shantytowns on new ruins. And those demolished plots would soon be replaced by new office buildings or apartment buildings.

As night falls, the duality of Longmen becomes increasingly apparent: the skyscrapers in the inner ring light up, neon lights flash on the streets, restaurants are filled with laughter, and melodious music drifts from the bars, making the whole city shine like a jewel; while in the shantytowns of the outer ring, only the light of a few kerosene lamps or flashlights flickers in the darkness, and the wind whistles through the gaps in the wooden planks, sounding as if it is crying.

This city is like a grand banquet, where some people sit at a magnificent table enjoying delicious food, while others can only sit in a corner outside the door, gazing at the lights inside and swallowing the bitterness of life.

Flowers adorn the landscape, and oil is poured into a raging fire.

……

Talulah stood in the open waiting area, her gaze fixed on the massive steel structure that was slowly moving ahead—the outline of Lungmen was exceptionally clear in the twilight, the layered buildings resembling a forest growing on a metal chassis, and the huge thrusters occasionally spewing out pale white jets of gas.

She brushed the sand from her shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her throat, tinged with an indescribable melancholy: "Back here again..."

"What, feeling timid as you approach your hometown?"

While waiting for the bus, Zhao Zizhan was organizing his entry permit.

"Perhaps, but this time, I have a reason to come back."

Just as the words were spoken, a car horn sounded in the distance, and a shuttle bus heading to the border checkpoint was slowly approaching.

Longmen Border Inspection Station, the gateway to Longmen, is like a bustling transit station. The spacious hall is crowded with all sorts of people. Businessmen in suits are clutching thick contracts and glancing at their watches from time to time; managers carrying briefcases are loudly communicating trade details on their phones; and several travelers with backpacks are looking at a map of Longmen city around the bulletin board.

The border inspection counters were lined up in a row, with short queues in front of each counter. Electronic screens displayed messages such as "Dangerous weapons are prohibited" and "Flammable and explosive materials are not allowed inside," and the announcements echoed throughout the hall.

In fact, border control at Lungmen is not very strict. The staff behind the counter simply check the document information quickly and scan the carry-on luggage with a detector. As long as no dangerous weapons or prohibited items are found, most people can pass through smoothly.

Because in the city, the Public Security Bureau has a very strict checkpoint. They set up checkpoints at each entrance, carefully checking not only the items carried but also testing for infection and asking each person about their purpose of entering. Every step is rigorous and meticulous, just to ensure that no threat can enter Lungmen.

Soon it was Zhao Zizhan's turn. He walked to the counter and handed over his ID card holder. The staff member behind the counter was a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue uniform, his cuffs buttoned tightly. He took the ID card holder, tapped his finger lightly on the terminal, and looked up to ask, "Name?"

Zhao Zizhan

"People from the Great Yan? What are they doing in Longmen?"

After seeing Zhao Zizhan's appearance and hearing his authentic Da Yan accent, the staff's examination became noticeably more perfunctory.

"Want to consider starting a small business?"

"Do business? What kind of business?"

The staff members glanced at Zhao Zizhan.

"Pharmaceuticals, building materials"

"Have you reported it to the police station?"

"The application has been submitted, but it hasn't been approved yet. I plan to take advantage of the waiting time to wander around Longmen."

As Zhao Zizhan spoke, he took out the application form from his document holder and handed it to the staff member.

The staff member took the application form, glanced at it, then checked it again on the terminal before asking, "How many people are there?"

"Four, one man and three women."

As soon as Zhao Zizhan finished speaking, he felt the staff member pause in their movements.

Sure enough, the border control officer looked up, sized Zhao Zizhan up and down, and said with a somewhat distorted expression, "Young man, you're in good health, aren't you?"

Zhao Zizhan gave a forced, Xiaoyan-esque smile but didn't reply. The staff member didn't say anything more either, just operated the terminal a few times, printed out a pass, and handed it over: "Alright, go over there for security check."

"Okay, thank you very much."

After a simple security check, the group quickly reunited, and even Surtr successfully passed through security.

Yes, knives are not considered dangerous items.

The security situation in the outer ring of Lungmen has been deteriorating for quite some time. If a normal person enters the outer ring without some means of self-defense, they will be quickly devoured. Therefore, basically, melee weapons such as knives can be brought in as long as they are not marked with Originium spell circuits.

"Alright, we're finally in. Let's go and do some on-site investigation to see what the situation is like in the slums."

PS: I need to think about the plot of Dragon Gate. I'll post the first chapter after breakfast. I'm finally able to set up my computer and start writing. I'll start updating more frequently from today!

Chapter 215 My Idol

Zhao Zizhan did not lie to the prosecutors; he was indeed there to do business. However, doing business doesn't mean closing a deal immediately.

Without investigation, there is no right to speak. To understand the true situation of the Longmen slums, we need to see the actual conditions there in person to grasp the real situation and then formulate a concrete plan that allows us to negotiate with Wei Yanwu on an equal footing.

Only by being targeted and realistic can we do good things.

If you make decisions based solely on your past impressions and ignore the realities of the situation, you're likely to suffer a setback in the end.

The huge elevator platform slowly rose, and the metal structure made a slight thud when it collided with the ground. Xia Mi was the first to step out of the elevator platform, and her eyes swept over the buildings in front of her in a well-organized manner—there were arcade buildings with a retro charm, as well as temporary sheds with mechanical components. The air was filled with the aroma of food and the sounds of machinery.

She couldn't help but stop and sigh softly, "This is Hong Kong in another world... It really does look quite different from ours."

"Where in this world can two leaves be exactly alike?"

Zhao Zizhan followed from behind, carrying a package.

"Where shall we go next?"

"I remember there's a pretty good Dong's Scale Ball restaurant in Longmen,"

Zhao Zizhan waved the package in his hand and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's go get something to eat first, and then we can take a stroll around the slums later."

"Is that the place that looks like Kowloon Walled City?"

Xia Mi's eyes lit up, and her tone became more excited—she had seen descriptions of Kowloon Walled City in the information before, and now that she could see her "same kind" in another world with her own eyes, she was naturally looking forward to it.

The Kowloon Walled City depicted in the documents was demolished eleven years ago. If you want to see it again, the only place you can do so besides watching movies is here.

"You even know about Kowloon Walled City?"

"of course!"

Xia Mi immediately puffed out her chest, her tone full of pride, "I've done a good refresher course on Hong Kong knowledge. Although this Hong Kong in another world may be quite different from ours, many things can always be understood by analogy!"

At this point, she suddenly realized something, and her gaze towards Zhao Zizhan instantly turned somewhat displeased. She lightly stomped her foot: "Wait, hey, what do you mean? What do you mean 'I also know about Kowloon Walled City'? I'm very smart, okay?"

As they walked and talked, Xia Mi's gaze fell on the "New Policies of Yan Kingdom" notice posted on the street. Recalling the information she had researched before, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Speaking of which, is this country called Great Yan, like Longmen, an equivalent of our world?"

"Yes and no"

Zhao Zizhan replied, looking at the map in his hand.

Seeing Xia Mi's puzzled expression, he explained in more detail: "The political system of Yan Kingdom is somewhat like a variant of our ancient system. The highest level of local administrative division is an institution called Xuanzheng Si. Each Xuanzheng Si is headed by a Xuanzheng Pingzhang as the local administrative chief, who is directly responsible to the imperial court. Below the Xuanzheng Si, 'fu' are set up around the densely populated major cities, and each fu has a prefect in charge of local affairs."

"However, Longmen is different. It is a mobile city on the border and is not under the jurisdiction of Xuanzheng Division. Instead, the court directly appoints a permanent governor to serve as the local military and political leader. He is responsible for the daily management of the city and the defense of the Great Yan border. The official we are going to meet later, Commander Wei, is the current governor of Longmen."

"The Governor..."

Xia Mi sighed softly, "That sounds like a really high-ranking official... But isn't this kind of regional division of government quite romantic?"

“It’s really romantic,” Zhao Zizhan nodded, patted Talulah’s shoulder, and then tugged at Surtr.

"Let's go, Tako, let's go get some Scale Balls first. You probably haven't had these in a long time."

"Rinmaru?...Indeed, it's been a long time since I've had any..."

Talulah looked at the Lungmen Outer Ring before her—dilapidated, old, and crowded… The air was filled with the smells of sweat, food, and a faint dust. This was a Lungmen she had never seen before.

Zhao Zizhan noticed the dazed look in her eyes, and his steps slowed subconsciously. He asked softly, "What's wrong? Did you find that Longmen is not quite what you imagined?"

"indeed……"

Talulah nodded blankly, "Lungmen in my memory..."

She paused, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as if recalling fragments blurred by time.

People tend to romanticize their past. When forgetting a person or an event, the first thing they often forget is their flaws.

In Talulah's memory, Lungmen was a place filled with love and laughter.

Instead of the way it is now...

Zhao Zizhan did not interrupt her thoughts until her gaze returned to him before slowly speaking: "While you were in the Duke's mansion in Koschche, did you ever imagine what the infected outside would be like?"

Zhao Zizhan's question stunned Talulah: "I have thought about it... Why do you say that?"

"Have you considered that infected people outside might be completely unable to communicate, leading to mutual harm between ordinary people and the infected at the bottom of society?"