Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 194: Girl with Sandalwood Scent (26)

Dragon Raja 3

Death probably hurt a lot, didn’t it?

But still, he couldn’t kneel and beg for mercy. He had been a loser his whole life; at least in death, he wouldn’t disgrace himself or his group. Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth, lifting his head defiantly to meet the leering grin of Monkey face.

“What a beautiful young lady!” the man sneered, grabbing a handful of Lu Mingfei’s backside. The bōsōzoku erupted in laughter.

“If you want, I can give you my underwear too,” Lu Mingfei retorted, mustering all his remaining strength to deliver the sarcastic line.

The man’s face twisted with rage. As a pervert, this insult hit him where it hurt most. Caesar’s haughty mockery didn’t bother him, but Lu Mingfei’s remark felt like a poisonous snake slithering into his heart. He shoved the shotgun under Lu Mingfei’s chin, his expression contorting with fury.

Lu Mingfei thought, Well, this is it. The best line I’ve ever delivered in my life. At least I get to die sticking it to this bastard. Maybe he’ll kill me quickly and spare me the suffering.

Suddenly, the street lit up. The rain continued to fall, but in that moment, moonlight pierced through the storm clouds, illuminating the town of Chizuru. The full moon shone brightly, like silver in the storm. The bōsōzoku gang members were stunned by this eerie spectacle.

All at once, a chorus of different ringtones filled the air. The boys pulled out their phones, and every screen displayed the same message:

“This is a message from Eva, an Execution Officer of Cassell College. On behalf of the entire Executive Department, I issue this stern warning: The light currently illuminating you is from Russia’s ‘Flagship Six’ artificial moon. The gap in the clouds was created by B1 bombers from the Okinawa Naval Base. If this were not Japanese soil, incendiary bombs would have already fallen on your heads. If you harm any of the college’s agents, I guarantee you will regret it. Before you learn just how terrifying Cassell College is, do not provoke us. You have five minutes to withdraw from the area.”

Sixty kilometers above the Earth, Russia’s Flagship Six artificial moon shifted its position, casting a massive 4,000-meter-wide spotlight onto the town of Chizuru. Cassell College had issued a death threat, spanning the entire Pacific Ocean.

The deadly battle between EVA and Kaguya continued in the digital realm, with EVA concentrating all her computational power to ensure her continued access to Japan’s mobile network. Street cameras turned towards the Manbo internet café. In the central control room of Cassell College, miles away, the entire Execution Bureau stood, watching the video feed on a massive screen. Lu Mingfei’s chin was pressed against the barrel of a gun held by Monkey face, whose hands trembled slightly. Silence filled the room as everyone awaited the outcome.

This was the limit of EVA’s capabilities. She had gone so far as to hack into the Russian satellite Flagship Six, commanding it to shift its beam of light from northern Siberia to illuminate the small town of Chizuru. She had the means to order the B1 bomber flying over Chizuru to launch an attack, but she refrained. Not because it was Japanese soil, but because the B1’s weapons, no matter what they were, would undoubtedly endanger Lu Mingfei. If Monkey face pulled the trigger, incendiary bombs would rain down, turning the entire street into a sea of flames. Such an event would likely escalate into an international crisis: a U.S. military bomber dropping incendiary bombs on a Japanese town. But EVA had no other choice. Deep in the database, beyond even Anjou’s reach, Lu Mingfei was classified under the highest level of protection in the college. As an artificial intelligence, EVA’s primary directive was to safeguard him, at any cost.

She existed for this person.

“B-boss, maybe we should… maybe we should just drop this!” one of the bōsōzoku gang members stammered. “They control satellites and can even command American bombers. If we keep going, we’re dead!”

The Akabane gang members had never expected to face such an insurmountable opponent tonight. They had only received money and three photos, unaware of who Caesar and Chu Zihang were. Their orders had come through a single channel from Monkey face’s contact.

Monkey face’s hands were trembling. He had no idea what Cassell College even was, but if they could control satellites, bombers, and mobile networks, they seemed capable of challenging even the Japanese government. Going up against such an organization was indeed foolish. But then he thought of the powerful figure pulling the strings behind the scenes, and it felt like a venomous snake slithering down his spine. He couldn’t lower the gun. Caesar and Chu Zihang were expendable, but that figure specifically wanted Lu Mingfei dead. If he failed to deliver Lu Mingfei’s head, Monkey face would have to consider offering his own in exchange.

The phone buzzed again. This time, it was just Monkey face’s phone. A new message had arrived.

He silently read the message, lowered his shotgun, and took a few steps back. His face was deathly pale, drenched in cold sweat, as if the message had come directly from the Grim Reaper. Mechanically, he raised his hand and extended his middle finger.

The arrogant man had actually flipped off Cassell College! In the central control room, everyone could feel the icy sharpness in EVA’s virtual eyes, like the glint of swords. In the sky, the B1 bomber suddenly turned, flying low toward Manbo internet café. Its original task had been to release cloud-seeding agents, creating a gap in the clouds so Flagship Six’s light beam could pierce the black sky. But now, the attack order had been given. If incendiary bombs were dropped, Lu Mingfei would still have a slim chance of survival, but if the gang opened fire, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“That’s just a scare tactic! Nothing impressive! Japan is our turf! Chizuru is our turf! They won’t dare to attack!” Monkey face shouted.

The gang hesitated for a moment, then raised their guns. They knew the consequences of disobeying their captain.

Monkey face deliberately kept his face hidden from his subordinates, knowing it betrayed the fear he felt. The last message he received had no sender information, just a simple command: “Raise your hand. Extend your middle finger.”

It was the final order from the figure in the shadows, closing off any possibility of retreat. There was no turning back now. To defy that figure’s command would lead to a fate worse than death. Even being burned alive by an incendiary bomb would seem like a merciful end compared to the alternative.

With a sharp gesture from Monkey face, the B1 bomber hadn’t yet reached Chizuru, but Lu Mingfei closed his eyes as the gunfire erupted, enveloping him in a deadly barrage of bullets.

Just then, a deep rumbling sound echoed from within the Manbo internet café, and the wall behind Lu Mingfei exploded. A four-meter-tall bulldozer burst from the flames, its massive shovel lifting Lu Mingfei into the air, deflecting the hundreds of pellets that ricocheted off its metal surface.

Series Navigation

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