Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 456: The Sword of Damocles (16)

Dragon Raja 3

“I’m not scared. I’m used to it. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a scene like this.” Lu Mingfei had experienced something similar in Beijing, but back then, he had Chu Zihang by his side, so he hadn’t felt this kind of loneliness and fear.

“Will the tsunami flood Korea too? If Korea gets flooded, there won’t be any crabapple trees.”

Lu Mingfei thought, “So you’re still worried about when I’ll come find you, huh? There’s an ocean between Korea and Japan. No matter how big the tsunami is, it can’t flood Korea, okay? But even though Korea will be fine, there are actually no crabapple trees in Seoul, no Crabapple Blossom Festival, and I won’t be coming either.”

As he was feeling down, the door at the end of the hallway was violently kicked open!

“Sakura! Sakura!” Whale rushed forward and grabbed Lu Mingfei, shaking him violently.

They fumbled their way to the wine cellar and found Sakura lying alone in the water, his whole body cold as ice.

Nakashima Sanae pushed through the crowd, reaching out to check Lu Mingfei’s breathing. It was weak. “He’s still alive. I’ve learned a bit of first aid, let me try.” She signaled Whale to step aside, feeling a bit sympathetic as Whale’s strong embrace seemed almost capable of crushing the boy’s ribs. She cradled Lu Mingfei in her arms, trying to warm him with her body heat.

Everything around them was wet. They couldn’t find anything to start a fire, and firelight might attract those savage monsters they had already encountered—the Death Servitors. The only option left was to rely on body heat.

This day had been a nightmare for Nakashima Sanae. She had canceled a date with Representative Hōjō to attend the Takamagahara party, but before she could even speak to Ukyo, she encountered a tsunami, gunfights, and monster attacks. Luckily, Whale had remained calm, directing the hosts to lead the guests out through a secret passage.

The so-called secret passage was a corridor hidden within the walls. This building had originally been a Catholic church. When it was built, Japan was still a predominantly Buddhist country, and fearing persecution, the clergy constructed secret escape routes within the walls.

After evading the first wave of gunmen, some customers were freezing and couldn’t bear it any longer. Whale suggested they take shelter in the wine cellar and have some drinks since alcohol would definitely help raise their body temperature in this situation. What they saw in the cellar were various floating bottles and Lu Mingfei, passed out in a corner, reeking of alcohol.

“Sakura must have been scared out of their mind, being trapped here alone,” Whale said, rubbing his hands, imagining this poor guy trying to use alcohol to save himself from extreme fear—it must have been quite the torment. Meanwhile, they had only been squeezed into the cold secret passage, but at least they could press body-to-body with the lovely guests.

“His body temperature is still normal. He may have suffocated in the water, and his stomach might still have water in it,” Nakashima Sanae said.

“What about his pulse?” Aoki Chinatsu, who was leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow. The famous band vocalist was also frustrated tonight, having not had a chance to speak with Basara King.

“His pulse is normal, and his heart rate is steady,” Nakashima Sanae said, twisting her long hair around her neck and leaning over Lu Mingfei. “I’ll try to give him CPR.”

“You’re not the right person for that,” Aoki Chinatsu said. “This requires an expert.”

“You?” Nakashima Sanae frowned slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable with this young woman’s challenge. “If the famous Miss Aoki doesn’t mind, I’d gladly let you take over.”

“We need someone with big lung capacity,” Aoki Chinatsu snapped her fingers. “Fujiwara Kansuke!”

The former sumo star immediately got up and knelt beside Aoki Chinatsu like a mountain of flesh. “What do you need?”

“What’s your lung capacity?”

“Eight and a half liters,” Fujiwara Kansuke said in a deep voice.

“That’s the expert I’m talking about,” Aoki Chinatsu said coldly, looking at Lu Mingfei. “Pinch his nose and blow air into his lungs until you’re out of breath. Start now!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Lu Mingfei shot up like a spring, blurting out apologies.

Aoki Chinatsu gave him a sharp knock on the head. “Pretending to be asleep? You thought you could fool me with that trick?”

Nakashima Sanae awkwardly sat back down, smoothing her hair. She thought about how Representative Hōjō had prepared rare vintage wine and fresh white truffles, gently inviting her to take a private yacht to dine on the open sea. After dinner, he would lean against the deck railing, hoping to steal a kiss from her, only to be thwarted by the cold sea breeze… yet here she was, almost falling for the trick of this young host.

“So you were just hiding here, drinking!” Aoki Chinatsu sneered. “Waiting for the monsters to eat the rest of us!”

A true avant-garde musician, Aoki Chinatsu had even incorporated elements of horror and savagery into her music. While the other guests were scared stiff in this situation, Miss Aoki Chinatsu hadn’t forgotten to carry her guitar. She’d heard tonight was a special party and didn’t mind performing if Caesar had asked. Equally calm was her future mother-in-law, Mori Takako, a widow who had long fought in the political arena and held her family together. She wore a white headband, resembling an aging commando, helping to bandage the wounded guests as they fled.

Aoki Chinatsu kicked Lu Mingfei lightly with her high-heeled sandals, then picked up a bottle of sweet potato shochu from the floating sake. After taking a swig, she squatted next to Mori Takako, using the alcohol to disinfect the wounds of the injured guests. Sweet potato shochu is about 60% alcohol—though not as strong as 70% medical alcohol, in this situation, they were grateful to have any disinfectant. The pain of having alcohol rubbed on the wound nearly caused the guest to faint, and Aoki Chinatsu harshly clamped her hand over the guest’s mouth to stop her from screaming.

Mori Takako gave her wild future daughter-in-law a cold look, and Aoki Chinatsu returned the glance just as coldly. One was a respected political widow, the other a modern musician—both frequently seen on television. Though it was their first meeting, they immediately recognized each other. But since they met in a host club, no one mentioned the engagement.

“Can I… can I have a drink too?” A trembling guest asked. She wore a sheer cocktail dress and was standing in knee-deep water.

Whale glanced at the remaining wine, kneeling before her. “I’m sorry, in these extraordinary times, we can’t offer the full drink menu. Right now, we only have Macallan whiskey, Hakushu whiskey, Napoleon cognac, and Kasumi shochu. We do have a wide variety of sake, though. May I ask what you’d like?”

True to his reputation as the top host club manager, even in this situation, Whale could offer a drink list better than most bars.

“Napoleon cognac, double,” the guest said, shivering, choosing the drink that would warm her up the most.

“Would you like it on ice? A little ice enhances the flavor,” Whale suggested.

“One ice cube,” the guest said weakly.

Whale gave a spinning kick, knocking open the door to the ice machine, which had become slightly misaligned and could only be opened by force. Sometimes guests would taste strong liquors in the cellar, so it was stocked with glassware and an ice machine. Whale took out a chilled glass, added ice and brandy, mixed it slightly, and handed it to the guest, still as composed as ever. Even in this situation, he was impeccably dressed in his flamboyant sea-blue suit, his sunglasses reflecting the emergency lights with a dazzling gleam. Truly a god among hosts.

Now that they had found the wine cellar, the service began immediately. The hosts draped napkins over their arms and asked each guest in turn if they would like something to drink while they waited for rescue.

The sound of footsteps splashing through water approached from a distance. A breathless host leaned close to Whale and whispered, “We can’t go out. All the exits are sealed… it seems the monsters are eating people.”

Whale patted his shoulder and then turned to face the guests. “Dear ladies, it seems the situation is improving. The water level is dropping, and rescue boats from the police are coming. They are fighting off the looters taking advantage of the disaster. Let’s calmly wait for rescue, and please avoid making too much noise. Those grotesque monsters haven’t been fully cleared yet.”

Lu Mingfei, who had been eavesdropping nearby, heard everything clearly. The situation hadn’t improved at all—they could die at any moment—but Whale lied with absolute confidence.

The guests breathed a collective sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on their pale faces. They were all elite women, many with assistants, secretaries, and butlers at their disposal. They were used to being driven everywhere, with coffee and tea served the moment they sat down. Now, however, they were sitting in waist-deep water, surrounded by monsters. Many felt as if this were the end of the world. But hearing Whale’s playful yet strong voice, they suddenly felt more at ease. They hugged each other, patted each other’s backs, and some even cried softly in relief.