Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 59: The Funeral of a Fifteen Year Old Boy (1)

Dragon Raja 4

A week later, in the deep mountains of northern Illinois, a silver Bugatti Veyron was parked on a silent platform.

A girl in a school uniform stood next to the car, slightly raising herself on her tiptoes, gazing toward the end of the railway tracks. The wind fluttered her skirt and her silk-like long hair.

The sound of a train whistle rushed towards her, and the surrounding pine forest trembled. A silver high-speed train appeared at the end of the tracks, moving at incredible speed, its wake swirling the fallen leaves into a dance. It screeched as it approached the station, but when it stopped at the platform, it was as soft as velvet touching the ground. The CC1000 subway line was powerful enough to pull an A380 jet to the college, but today it was pulling only one carriage because the passenger inside was important enough for the college to send a car just for him.

When the girl boarded the carriage, the passenger was dozing by the window, dressed casually in a loose T-shirt, jeans, and flip-flops, with a huge backpack placed by his feet.

The girl tidied up the trash scattered around him, hoisted his heavy backpack, and gently woke him up.

“Isabel? Didn’t I tell you not to come pick me up?” Lu Mingfei rubbed his sleepy eyes. “I could have just taken the bus back.”

“I couldn’t help it. Everyone told me, ‘The president is coming back, Isabel, go pick him up.’” The girl’s smile was as bright as the sunshine in Madrid. “Did you enjoy Rio de Janeiro?”

Isabel, a third-year student of Spanish descent, was the current head of the Student Union’s Dance Troupe and also served as the general affairs assistant, as well as the assistant to the Student Union president.

“I watched samba, participated in Carnival, and then ended up chasing a wild pig through the streets,” Lu Mingfei said, touching the scar on the back of his head. “I ended up staying in the hospital for a week.”

This was Lu Mingfei’s fifth year of college, and looking back, the five years seemed to have flown by in the blink of an eye.

After Caesar graduated, he took over as the Student Union president. He hadn’t really wanted the honor, but Caesar insisted on passing the torch to him, leaving him with no choice but to accept.

At the freshman welcome event two years ago, after Caesar finished his speech, he suddenly announced that he was about to graduate and that the honor of leading the organization should be handed over to a younger, more outstanding individual. Several senior members were immediately excited, their eyes full of eager anticipation as they looked at Caesar. Lu Mingfei never expected this to have anything to do with him; he was just enjoying a ham sausage slathered in mayonnaise, watching the show.

Despite being in the Student Union for so long, he had always been a bit of a loner, rarely seen except when there was free food provided by the Council.

“According to the traditions of the Student Union, I get to recommend the next president,” Caesar said, confidently addressing the crowd. “Those who know me understand that I can’t stand mediocrity, let alone let such a person take over my work. I’ve thought about it for a long time and observed this person for just as long. Without a doubt, after my and Chu Zihang’s time, he will be the one to dominate this campus. He and I have worked together many times, and I’ve personally witnessed his growth. I trust him to have my back and would gladly share my last drink with him…”

The more Lu Mingfei listened, the more confused he became. Who could possibly be so highly praised by Caesar, the guy with sky-high standards? Was there really such a person at Cassell college?

He started feeling anxious because more and more people were turning to look at him, especially the underclassmen. Some were already getting ready to clap.

“Some say he’s the headmaster’s favored student, others say he’s Chu Zihang’s brother, but he chose the Student Union and chose to stand with us.” Caesar extended his hand toward him from afar. “Now, please join me in welcoming our very own Ricardo M. Lu! Ricardo, come on stage and stand with me!”

Under the gaze of the crowd, Lu Mingfei licked the mayonnaise off his fingers and thought, Is life really this absurd? In high school, I wished to be the center of attention, but no one even gave me a second glance. Now, all I want is to be a quiet, handsome guy, but the spotlight is being forced on me, making me break out in a sweat.

He awkwardly walked onto the stage, standing beside Caesar, who wrapped an arm around his shoulder. The flashes of the cameras captured the historic moment of passing the torch.

“Boss, why did you choose me?” Lu Mingfei whispered. “There are so many strong candidates in the Student Union. You could hit three or five of them just by tossing a beer bottle.”

“Finding talent to manage the Student Union isn’t hard, but who’s going to take over my dance troupe?” Caesar whispered back. “Such a great resource—it should stay within the brotherhood, right?”

Father! Are you planning to leave all the concubines to your son? Your son can’t handle them! Just leave the three or five prettiest ones!

Caesar looked around the room. “Let’s simplify the voting process: a show of hands. All those in favor of Lu Mingfei as the next president, raise your hand.”

Lu Mingfei noticed a few of the senior ministers had disdainful expressions on their faces. Would they actually vote for me? Are they blind?

But someone disagreed. The head of the Dance Troupe raised her hand first, her voice as pleasant as wind chimes: “Ricardo! We love you!”

The new members all raised their hands enthusiastically, agreeing: “Support Ricardo! Support Senior Lu Mingfei! Support President Lu Mingfei!”

The senior ministers exchanged glances. The so-called “will of the majority” prevailed, and no one dared to stand up and question whether this candidate was unqualified.

Caesar must have foreseen this outcome. In the past two years, the Student Union had undergone significant changes, with many new members joining. By the time they enrolled, Lu Mingfei was already a well-known figure at the college. The freshmen hadn’t seen his laziness and cowardice, but they had all heard that he was the only S-Rank student in decades, a close friend of both the Lionheart Society president and the Student Union president. He had entered the dragon-slaying battlefield multiple times, achieving great merits. He could even have tea with the headmaster whenever he pleased. Yet, despite all this, he remained approachable, often seen strolling around the campus in a T-shirt and shorts.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Caesar passed the nearly century-old flag of the Student Union to Lu Mingfei, along with a pair of Desert Eagles.

Watching Caesar’s elegant figure as he left, Lu Mingfei suddenly felt a sense of confusion, as if an era had ended. Everyone seemed ready to leave, but he was left standing in place.

Half an hour later, the Bugatti Veyron pulled into the underground garage of Norton Hall.

Lu Mingfei had won this building from Caesar years ago, but it had been vacant for three years. Now, it was once again the headquarters of the Student Union.

“I’ve scheduled a full-body checkup for you. Do you want to go now, or after the meeting?” Isabel asked. “The doctors in Rio probably weren’t that great.”

“The doctor said I’m fine,” Lu Mingfei tapped his temple. “Not that I use this thing much anyway.”

“Then at least change your clothes. All the department heads are here, and you should dress formally for the meeting.”

A moment later, dressed in a suit, Lu Mingfei appeared in the conference room accompanied by Isabelle. The department heads, seated around the table, all stood up and applauded in unison.

“Bravo! Bravo!” someone shouted, “The fight in Rio was incredible!”

Lu Mingfei nodded slightly in acknowledgment. To everyone, this seemed like a very humble reaction; after all, a man with Dragon-slaying feats wouldn’t be overly proud of such a small matter.

When he first became the Student Union president, Lu Mingfei had been nervous about the praise from those around him. Now, he had learned to maintain a calm and indifferent expression in most situations.

“Sign two postcards for Gonzalez and Victoria. They’ve become your fans now,” Isabel said, placing two postcards in front of him.

Lu Mingfei picked up the pen and quickly signed them, writing, “May the stars illuminate our path to glory,” a standard phrase he had used countless times over the past two years.

“Victoria has applied to join the dance troupe,” Isabel said, putting away the postcards. “I wanted to ask your opinion. If she’s too obsessed with you personally, it might become a problem.”

“More lice, less itch; more debt, less worry,” Lu Mingfei shrugged. “If she wants to join, let her join.”

The meeting officially began, and the discussion centered around next year’s budget for each department. Unlike typical Student Unions, Cassell college’s Student Union functioned more like a fraternity. It was funded entirely by donations from its members and didn’t rely on the college’s financial department. Many members came from wealthy families and were very generous. Any leftover donations from previous years were rolled over into the next, accumulating so much that the Student Union eventually started investing the surplus. To this day, the Student Union was a shareholder in several publicly traded companies and maintained its own accounts with major banks.

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