Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 161: Cycle of Catastrophe (4)

Dragon Raja 3

“Of course I care about my son. But talking about art and collections won’t change his situation, will it?” Pompeii regretfully put his phone away. “So, let’s continue with Japan. You mean that since Yamata no Orochi isn’t united, it would be hard for them to betray us together, right?”

“An ununited group is like a democratic parliament—it’s difficult to pass a decision to go to war. Hawks shout passionately from the stage while doves just smirk coldly from below. War always requires a strong leader—there wouldn’t have been an invasion of Poland without Hitler, nor the Falklands War without Thatcher.” Anjou spoke coldly. “This time, Yamata no Orochi’s betrayal was exceptionally resolute, which means they’ve got a strong leader now, someone who’s acting on their own!”

“So to solve the problem in Japan, we just need to find this hidden leader, right?” Pompeii’s eyes gleamed. “You must have a plan, don’t you? You hold grudges, and there’s no way you’d let it go after the Japanese bit you. Come on, tell me, what’s your plan to take those guys down?”

“I do have a plan, but I’m not telling you,” Anjou curtly replied.

“But I’m on the School Board! My family is the biggest investor in the college! Can’t you give me just a little more information?” Pompeii gave him a hopeful look.

“You just said your main job in the Gattuso family is being a stallion. Then just focus on eating well, staying fit, and dating mares. If you want to talk strategy, let Frost come. Why would I discuss strategy with a stallion?”

“You’re amazing!” Pompeii gave him a thumbs up. “I love your attitude—uncompromising! Only someone like you can accomplish great things. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you! You’re the best!”

“Save it. No matter how well you praise me, I won’t tell you anything more.”

“Not telling is fine, but there’s no need to be so harsh, like I’m here just to pry information out of you. I genuinely miss my old friend. I even put on a facial mask and got a haircut to look presentable before coming here—I care deeply about relationships, you know that.” Pompeii sighed. “I just want an explanation to bring back to the elders in the family. You know it’s not easy for me—so many elders at home, and everything has to be considered thoroughly… But speaking of which, it’s my son who is missing, so why are they the anxious ones? It’s the emperor who isn’t worried, but the eunuchs are! Do you know how hard it is for me to live among eunuchs all day long? Lately, I’ve been studying history, and every ancient government that had eunuchs ended up ruined because of them. Coming from a family like this, I have a pretty bleak outlook on the future.”

Anjou rubbed his forehead. No wonder the Gattuso family kept this head of the household under tight wraps, never letting him attend formal events—sometimes, he really was quite a disturbance.

“Oh, right. Do you want to hear about my research findings?” Pompeii suddenly switched topics.

“I had no idea you were still doing research. Pray tell, Dr. Pompeii, what’s your topic—‘Hormonal Changes in Women During Dating Hours’?” Anjou remembered that this guy really did have a Ph.D.

Pompeii Gattuso graduated from ETH Zurich. Though not as globally famous as Harvard or Stanford, it’s the top polytechnic in Europe and produces many Nobel laureates, including names like Roentgen, Pauli, and Einstein, which shine brightly in the history of science. It’s hard to imagine a playboy like Pompeii graduating from such a serious university, let alone graduating with perfect scores. To this day, ETH Zurich still talks about Pompeii’s legendary deeds—during his first year, he dated every girl in his physics class. ETH’s physics lectures were well-known throughout Europe, and almost every student took them, so there were more than 600 students attending each year. With girls making up about 30%, Pompeii would have had to charm three or four girls during a single class to achieve the remarkable feat of “dating every girl in the class.” No one knew how he managed it.

“I’ve always been researching! Lately, I’ve even been dating several female Ph.D. candidates… Female Ph.D. candidates are fun!” Pompeii beamed.

“Your romantic exploits have already made my ears grow calluses. Could you let me have some peace for once? Kindly take the stairs, turn left, and help me close the door on your way out!” Anjou impatiently issued an eviction order.

“That hurts! Don’t you want to know how Takamagahara sank into the abyss?” Pompeii looked genuinely dejected, maybe even heartbroken. “And to think I treated you as a friend—rushed over the moment I got a lead to share with you!”

Anjou’s gaze suddenly turned sharp. “Go on.”

“Suddenly, I don’t feel like telling you anymore. Such an important research project is better shared with people who understand it.” Pompeii sat down and picked up his cup of black tea, glancing around.

Anjou stared directly into Pompeii’s eyes from across the table, saying nothing.

The tension lasted for half a minute before Pompeii broke into a sly grin. “Just messing with you. You still haven’t changed—normally, you’re as much a playboy as I am, but as soon as it’s related to the Dragon Raja, you get as vigilant as a beast.”

He lifted the back of his jacket and pulled out a chip case from his waistband, sliding it across the table to Anjou. “The stuff in there is highly technical—you might not understand it all, so let me, Pompeii Gattuso, first in geophysics from ETH Zurich, explain it to you!”

“I can’t imagine why someone like you chose geophysics. Wouldn’t studying art or painting be more helpful in picking up women?”

“Because geophysics is our university’s flagship course—it’s the hardest. In the Gattuso family, our motto is: Ride the fastest horse, chase the prettiest women, slay the fiercest dragons… study the toughest courses. Everything has to be top-notch.” Pompeii took out the chip and inserted it into his laptop.

“This is the terrain of Japan’s four islands from 500,000 years ago. Looks quite different from Japan’s map today, right?” Pompeii opened an overhead view. The blue areas represented seawater, with Japan’s four islands surrounded by it—extending from China’s coast in the west to the Emperor Seamounts in the central Pacific. The ocean floor’s undulations were also mapped out.

Anjou nodded. “The coastline is very different, and Kyushu and Shikoku are much larger than they are today.”

“Ever heard of the theory of plate tectonics?”

“I know a bit.”

“According to Wegener’s theory of plate tectonics proposed in 1910, the Earth’s crust is divided into six major plates that float on the mantle. The mantle is filled with basalt in a molten state, so you can think of the Earth as an egg whose shell has broken into six pieces that float on the egg white. These plates, weighing trillions of tons, drift very slowly, moving only a few centimeters each year. But over millions of years, they can drift thousands of kilometers. Around 100 million years ago, during the Mesozoic era, Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica were still connected, forming a supercontinent called Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere. Over the following tens of millions of years, they drifted in different directions, eventually forming the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic.” Pompeii paused here and glanced at Anjou.