Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 124: Mr. Shao’s Summer (2)

Dragon Raja 4

Shao Gongzi had come with a purpose. Since graduating from elementary school, he had only seen Nono twice. But sometimes, late at night, he would sober up and find himself agonizing over his memories of her.

Although he was full of schemes, Shao Gongzi took marriage seriously. His father had once told him that it was fine to mess around when young, but a wife was someone to bring into the family—a person you had to feel was truly worth it for life. Shao Gongzi had reviewed every woman he knew and felt none could compare to Chen Motong. If he married anyone else, he’d probably continue playing around outside while his wife begged for him to come home. But if he could marry Chen Motong, he would willingly kneel before her when he got home.

However, Shao Gongzi knew little about Nono’s current life. The two times she had come to see him, it was only to borrow his car. When he tried to ask about her, he learned only that she had an Italian aristocrat boyfriend. The moment he heard that, it was like a nuclear bomb had gone off inside him, and he wished he could nuke all of Italy.

Upon hearing that two classmates had returned to the country with Nono, Shao Gongzi decided to find out more about this Italian boyfriend. A wise man never enters a fight unprepared, so he wanted to be ready to compete with this Italian guy.

After finishing two beers, Shao Gongzi felt it was time to get down to business. He cleared his throat and asked, “What’s the deal with senior’s boyfriend? I’ve heard Italian guys are all scumbags.”

“They’re not just dating anymore; he’s her fiancé. And our boss? He’s definitely not a scumbag. He treats senior really well,” Lu Mingfei answered truthfully.

Shao Gongzi’s heart sank. If he’s not a scumbag, that makes things even harder. Fiancé? Engaged or not, it’s still just a fiancé!

“Is this guy any fun? I’d like to meet him,” Shao Gongzi casually inquired.

“He’s super fun. Knows a ton of stuff and is an athlete too. He’s sailed across half the world in a yacht and even won a silver medal in skiing at the Winter Olympics,” Lu Mingfei replied.

With each of Caesar’s qualities Lu Mingfei mentioned, Shao Gongzi felt his heart bleed a little more. How does a guy like this even exist? How am I supposed to compete with him? If I were a girl, I’d be fighting to marry him too!

“Aren’t you exaggerating a bit? He’s still so young; how could he be like some kind of decathlete? I don’t believe it,” Shao Gongzi said, trying to keep his composure.

“Look him up online. See for yourself if that Winter Olympics silver medal is real,” Lu Mingfei said.

Shao Gongzi immediately pulled out his phone and did a quick search. After verifying the facts, he silently put away his phone and continued to drink, feeling deeply depressed.

Lu Mingfei could tell that Shao Gongzi had feelings for Nono. He felt a pang of sympathy for him, thinking, With your family’s wealth, and a bit more effort, you could probably win over 99% of women in the world, but you’ve run straight into Caesar, the Himalayas of competition.

“That guy is so amazing, I bet lots of girls like him, right? He’d better not bully our senior someday,” Shao Gongzi gritted his teeth, showing a fierce expression. “If he dares hurt her, I won’t let him off easily!”

“Don’t worry, our boss wouldn’t bully senior. He’s too respectful to her,” Lu Mingfei reassured him. “You really care about senior, huh? You’ve known her a long time?”

“We met when we were in elementary school in the UK. I used to show off, telling every Chinese kid that my family was rich and they all had to listen to me. I said if they obeyed, I’d give them a salary. But when I tried it on senior, she beat me up. That’s how we got to know each other—literally beaten into friendship.”

“Brother, doesn’t ‘beaten into friendship’ usually mean you fight each other? From the way you tell it, it sounds like you were on the receiving end,” Lu Mingfei teased.

“Whatever! Getting beaten by a girl isn’t a big deal. Real men can take it! It’s a point of pride!” Shao Gongzi said seriously. “That’s how we met. Our school was a noble school. The British kids would gang up and bully us Chinese because they saw us as nouveau riche. But senior was our leader; she protected us.”

“So, you guys were… brothers-in-arms? A revolutionary friendship?”

“Why can’t a revolutionary friendship turn into love? Like… uh… that guy Wang Jingwei and someone Chen… Anyway, my history’s rusty. Let’s not talk about that,” Shao Gongzi waved his hand dismissively. “Back then, my dad wanted me to blend into the British aristocracy, so I tried to learn British English and play rugby like them. But all they did was mess with me. During rugby games, they’d aim the ball right at my face. One time, they broke my front tooth. I wanted to join their cricket club, but they said I had to follow their initiation ritual: I had to blow up an unwashed pig bladder. I got so mad that I fought them. They held me down and tried to shove the pig bladder in my mouth. That’s when senior showed up with a bat and knocked them all down, whacking them one by one. Then she pumped up the pig bladder into a balloon, stuck it on the leader’s head, and took a picture, calling him ‘The British Lord with a Ball on His Head.’ How could I not fall for a girl like that? When I first started liking her, she wasn’t even that pretty—just a skinny, dark little girl with a mean punch.”

“When I met her, she was already quite beautiful,” Lu Mingfei smiled.

“I swore to myself that I’d marry that girl, no matter what! She protected me back then, so when I grew up, I’d make sure no one bullied her,” Shao Gongzi sighed. “The problem is, who would even dare bully her now? All the skills I learned are useless!”

Shao Gongzi had been holding these feelings in for years, always thinking it would be embarrassing to share them, but tonight, he found himself confiding in a newly met friend.

“Bro, if you’ve ever truly, sincerely liked someone, you’d understand how I feel,” Shao Gongzi said, feeling like he might have opened up too much and tried to save face.

“I did like someone once, but she already had a boyfriend, so I never even tried to pursue her. Now we’re just good friends,” Lu Mingfei said casually.

“Invite her to come to China for a vacation. I’ll cover the plane tickets! My driver will take you around in a Rolls Royce! As men, when we chase girls, we need style!” Shao Gongzi offered enthusiastically.

“I’m not thinking about that stuff right now. Being friends is nice too,” Lu Mingfei smiled. “Besides, it might not have even been love back then. Have you ever read Saiyuki?”

He retold the story he had shared with Lu Mingze the other night—the one that had been swirling in his mind ever since: the story of the forgotten monkey, the temperamental Sanzo, and the ever-lonely Water Curtain Cave.

After hearing the story, Shao Gongzi sat in a daze for a while. Suddenly, he jumped up, pacing around the hospital room before slapping his thigh in excitement: “Bro, you’re a philosopher! You have such a profound understanding of love! I feel reborn!”

Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded. “I… how am I a philosopher?” he thought. I was just telling you that the Monkey King followed Tang Sanzang not because of love, but because he was stubborn—like a wheel’s axle!

“I get it now! Bro, you’re encouraging me not to give up! The Monkey King is such a simple person. He doesn’t overthink things; he just follows Tang Sanzang. Persistence is key when it comes to chasing girls. Endure the humiliation and keep going! Just because a girl isn’t responding now doesn’t mean she won’t respond in the future. You’ve got to play the long game. Those girls who throw themselves at you right away, well, guys like us, with deep feelings, don’t need to chase after them. A man has to drink the strongest wine and pursue the hardest-to-get girls! It’s all about how tough your head is—if it’s tough enough, you can smash through any wall!”

Lu Mingfei could only smile and watch him, trying to appear thoughtful.

There’s no philosophy in this, Lu Mingfei thought. The truth is, if someone doesn’t want to give up, no matter what you tell them, they’ll always feel encouraged.

Shao Gongzi, brimming with confidence, strode out of the room, leaving Lu Mingfei alone again. He opened the drawer by his bed, took out the sedative injection, and pushed the medication into his vein.

“Turns out he’s one of your love rivals, but he’s amusing enough, so I decided to spare him,” a familiar voice chuckled. “Otherwise, just for daring to talk to you like that, he’d have died eight hundred times over.”

“Good thing I’m in love with senior and not Chang’e. With how aggressive you are, you’d probably grab two knives and fight your way from the Southern Heavenly Gate to Penglai East Road, killing every god who’s ever watched her dance.”

“It sounds like you’re joking, but why do I feel like you’re serious?” Lu Mingze sat at the foot of the bed, tilting his head at Lu Mingfei. “When you talk seriously, it scares people.”

“I’ve watched her die 91 times… 91 times… How do you expect me to be happy?” Lu Mingfei whispered. “I wish I had two knives. I’d want to fight my way from the Southern Heavenly Gate to Penglai East Road too.”

“This game isn’t about fighting. For you, fighting isn’t even a challenge. You need to keep a clear head and focus on every detail of the game…”

“Enough of the chatter. I’m tired. Load the game; let’s continue.” Lu Mingfei’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

He closed his eyes, and the darkness descended. With a crisp snap of fingers, the sounds of wind, rain, and horses’ neighing filled the air.

Gamma Spring, 92nd reload, begin.

At the Black Prince International Financial Center, Shao Gongzi rode the VIP elevator up to his top-floor office. Along the way, he kept absentmindedly pounding his fist into his palm.

“Boss! You’re looking pumped today!” one of his lackeys said.