Dragon Raja 5; Chapter 291: For Your Majesty (106)

Dragon Raja 5

As he walked, he saw the others. The boys were all dressed in similar formal attire to his, while the girls had no restrictions, wearing their own dresses. When they met, the boys saluted with their hands to their temples, somewhat like a military salute, while the girls smiled faintly. The previously lively and boisterous atmosphere had suddenly become so reserved and restrained, creating a sense of tension. Everyone was clutching a thick folder, just like the one Vishnak had on his desk. Lu Mingfei didn’t have one; he only carried two cards: one given to him by Christina, containing a “huge sum” of $20 million, and the other an invitation from Bunin.

As they walked, they encountered Chu Zihang again. Today, he was still carrying those long swords, looking every bit like a lone assassin wandering the martial world.

As they walked, they encountered Zero again on the bridge, who was clearly waiting for them there. Today, her attire was exceptionally formal, with a thick mink fur overlay on her court-style gown.

Red flags were hung all around the circular building, creating a celebratory atmosphere. Alexander Bunin stood in front of the circular building, shaking hands with everyone, displaying the air of a true host.

There were still no security checks, and Chu Zihang openly carried the knife in, while Lu Mingfei’s attempt to hide it seemed somewhat unnecessary.

Stepping through that door felt like stepping from socialism into capitalism. Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, a card game had already begun, and beautiful, doll-like waitresses moved about, serving lobster sashimi and champagne. A table nearby offered high-proof vodka favored by Russians; in fact, you could find spirits from all over the world on that table. The bartender was always ready to craft a cocktail to your liking, and behind him, a wall of crystal glasses shimmered with dazzling light.

Beneath the deep red curtains, guests chatted quietly; the girls’ glittering eye makeup and the boys’ crested rings shone brighter than crystal.

Christina, dressed in a striking ivory dress, sat at the table playing cards. When she saw Lu Mingfei enter, she gave him a look, probably to warn him to be more careful.

Lu Mingfei ignored the intelligence officer and ordered a martini from the bartender. He didn’t know much about cocktails, but he knew what a martini was because it was the drink 007 drank. Holding the drink, he wandered around the venue. The venue was much larger than it initially appeared. Behind each door was a new space. Some were restaurants where guests could find a seat and eat whenever they were hungry, with chefs waiting to serve them. Lu Mingfei even found a Japanese-style hut where a sushi chef smiled and spoke Japanese to him. Some were cigar rooms and billiard rooms, and there was even a basketball court, so guests could have a game if they wanted. There were also rooms with only sofas and low-hanging curtains; you could do whatever you wanted there, just lock the door, and the space was yours.

This was simply a feast fit for the Sun King; you can find everything you want here, and the host’s hospitality is so exquisite it seems not to be enough.

Lu Mingfei returned to the gambling table and sat down to play cards with Christina. Odinez, Valodya, and Sonia were also there, along with several young people he’d met at the Bunin family dinner. They weren’t particularly interested in the lavish hospitality, preferring to spend their time at the card table. The game was similar to the previous night, but the stakes were almost ten times higher, with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of crystal chips being pushed towards the winner each hand. Sonia, in her red dress and red hair, launched a fierce attack, completely overwhelming Christina. Losing repeatedly, she was furious, her face turning dark with anger. She had already given her card to Lu Mingfei; she didn’t have many chips left, and she was a very competitive person.

Lu Mingfei wanted to remind her that her ideal was to become a professional intelligence agent, but it was pointless to say it.

His mind wasn’t on the card game, but on the behavior of those around him. An indescribable tension permeated the room; everyone was testing each other, whether through conversation or the card game itself. To bet tens of millions of dollars on a game of probing—this was a high-stakes game.

Zero also sat down at the card table. Her card skills were surprisingly good. She immediately broke Sonia’s winning streak, and Christina finally caught her breath.

Chu Zihang disappeared as soon as he entered the venue. Because killing embryos meant doing the work of killing embryos; he would search every room and memorize every passageway to prevent any accidents. This was Lu Mingfei’s instruction.

Strangely enough, this mighty monster, who could kill anyone he encountered, felt that there was a secret hidden in this city that even monsters would find unsettling.

A young waitress came up behind Lu Mingfei, leaned down and whispered in his ear, her breath sweet as orchids, “Mr. Bunin would like to have a chat with you for a few minutes.” Christina immediately turned her alert gaze over, but it was suppressed by Lu Mingfei’s eyes.

Lu Mingfei followed the waitress into a room with only a sofa and curtains, where Alexander Bunin sat upright beneath an oil painting depicting the Don River landscape.

Lu Mingfei sat down opposite him, and the waitress locked the door when she left.

“I need Mr. Lu’s help.” Bunin shook the ice in his glass.

“Protect your daughter? But I don’t know what I can do. The blizzard should have already blocked the GRU special forces on their way. In City 023, you’re the only one in charge,” Lu Mingfei said.

“I would like to ask Mr. Lu to help me buy something,” Bunin said slowly. “There is one item at the auction that I want.”

“You’re hosting this auction yourself, and you want me to buy things for you?” Lu Mingfei was stunned. “Isn’t that like being a shill?”

“No, I don’t want you to help me raise the price, I really want that thing.” Bunin pushed the large envelope on the table to Lu Mingfei. “I’ve already prepared the money for you.”

Lu Mingfei opened the envelope and poured out a card. It was really strange that both father and daughter were going to such lengths to give him money.

“I have $370 million in one card. I can only raise that much in the limited time. So I’ll have to rely on your skills at the auction, Mr. Lu. The competition will be fierce.”

Even Lu Mingfei was surprised by this figure. Bunin’s contribution was dozens of times that of Christina, but judging from his words, this huge sum of money might still not be enough.

Auctions rely primarily on strength, though skill plays a role. Knowing how to project overwhelming power, forcing opponents to concede, or attracting bids to deplete their resources before securing the item you truly desire—these are all areas of expertise. Lu Mingfei lacked confidence in his skills; his previous dominance of the Chicago auction market was entirely due to some kind of cheat code, but the “little devil” hadn’t bothered him for a long time.

“If I don’t even know what the goods are, I can’t help you with this.” Lu Mingfei shrugged. “I don’t even know how to scam people.”

Bunin nodded. “Of course, since I’ve asked for your help, I’m prepared to tell you more. That mysterious auction item is time.”