Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 376: An Old Friend From the Arctic (2)

Dragon Raja 3

If he were to be honest, there had been moments when he felt a hint of desire. After all, as a man, he could easily see how beautiful she was. But why, in that dream, had he so decisively abandoned her and run away?

He couldn’t figure it out… and maybe it was better not to dwell on things he couldn’t understand. Even if he regretted not making a move on her back then, it was too late now. But perhaps it was for the best. When there’s no hope, you don’t have to waste time thinking about it. “The sooner it’s over, the sooner you’re free”—maybe that’s what this meant.

He should focus on thinking about how to explain things to the boss and his senior. Should he drop to his knees as soon as he walked in and say, “I was wrong, I’ve let down the organization, society, and all of humanity”? Or should he lie and say that at the last moment, the girl refused to return to Tokyo with him and instead jumped onto a train to escape?

He really wanted to lie—who wouldn’t want to lie if it could reduce their punishment? But how could he come up with a plausible lie? He scratched his head in frustration.

A hard object pressed against the back of his neck, and a cold shiver ran straight into his heart. He wasn’t alone in the room. Someone had been lurking in the darkness, waiting to ambush him.

Trembling, Lu Mingfei raised his hands. Chu Zihang, expressionless, emerged from behind the curtains and silently sat down across from him at the coffee table.

“No need to explain anything. We followed you to Matsushita Town and saw everything,” Caesar said, half-kneeling behind Lu Mingfei, gripping a loaded Desert Eagle.

The three of them were silent for a full half-minute. Slowly, Lu Mingfei reached behind his back and pulled out another Desert Eagle, loaded with “Burning Blood.” He placed the gun on the coffee table and pushed it toward Chu Zihang.

He had just given up his only weapon. Not that it mattered—he was a small-time traitor with no chance of winning against the top-ranked members of the college.

“I let her go. She doesn’t know anything. This has nothing to do with her,” Lu Mingfei said, his head hanging. “I’m the one responsible for all of this.”

Damn it, that wasn’t his style at all. When had he ever been the type to say something tough like, “I’ll take all the blame”? He should’ve turned around, grabbed the boss’s leg, and started crying while making up lies!

But there was no helping it—he hadn’t even finished thinking up a proper lie before the organization’s anti-traitor squad caught him.

Caesar grabbed the Desert Eagle from the table, holstered both guns, then slumped down next to the coffee table, fiddling with the small toys on it without saying a word.

“Mercy… spare me…” Lu Mingfei finally broke the suffocating silence, pleading for his life.

“Hey, how about some late-night noodles?” Caesar patted him on the shoulder.

“Wait, what? Did I hear that right? Is this really the time for ramen?” Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded.

“I found a decent 24-hour ramen shop in the back streets. Let’s go get something to eat,” Caesar stood up. “We’ve been driving back this whole time and haven’t eaten anything.”

Lu Mingfei cautiously looked at Chu Zihang. Caesar seemed relaxed, but Chu Zihang remained expressionless from the moment he appeared, like a stern judge. This left Lu Mingfei unsure of the situation.

“I don’t know if what you did was right or wrong, but sometimes we can’t predict the outcome. We can only act based on what we think in that moment,” Chu Zihang said quietly as he got up. “Let’s go. I’m hungry too.”

“I’ve convinced him,” Caesar said, throwing an arm around Lu Mingfei’s shoulders, grinning widely. “Now you see why public speaking is a vital skill for leaders? Joining the Student Council was one of the smartest choices you ever made!”

“I… I still need to pack up her things and send them back to her,” Lu Mingfei said.

“What’s so hard about that? The three of us can get it done in a few minutes!” Caesar waved his hand grandly. “Team, attention! We’re packing up clothes and toys for the girl now!”

Without a word, Chu Zihang picked up a cardboard box and started tossing the small toys into it, one by one.

Four hours earlier, on the highway from Matsushita Town to Matsuyama City, smoke had been billowing from a stranded Fengtai car on the roadside. No matter how hard Chu Zihang turned the key in the ignition, the car refused to start. The engine’s warning alarm echoed sharply in the still night.

“Damn it!” Chu Zihang slammed his hand on the steering wheel.

At that moment, the brightly lit train was passing not far away. He had just lost his last chance to intercept Erii, as the troublesome Toyota had failed to hold out until they reached Matsuyama City.

“Is it another coolant leak? Japanese products really can’t be trusted!” Caesar remarked as he looked out at the torrential rain. “Breaking down in this kind of weather on the highway? Good luck finding a place that sells coolant.”

He was grabbed by the collar and shoved hard against the car door, the force almost causing him to drop the salmon rice ball in his hand.

“You tampered with the engine! The rental car must have been inspected before it left the shop; there’s no way it would have a coolant leak!” Chu Zihang’s golden eyes blazed with a menacing light. “With your knowledge of racing cars, you definitely know how to fix engines. Every racing car is custom-made, and every driver has to be familiar with their own engine! From the very beginning, you were Lu Mingfei’s accomplice! The first time, you cut the hose and let the coolant leak out. The second time, I fixed the hose, but the coolant you bought was faulty!”

“Accomplice isn’t quite the right word. Accomplices have to plan things together beforehand. At best, you could say this was a spontaneous joint crime,” Caesar shrugged.

“Then how did you know?” Chu Zihang shouted.

“I could tell by looking in his eyes. That sudden look of resolve isn’t something an idiot could muster,” Caesar said slowly. “Of course, you wouldn’t understand. You’re not a gentleman, so you can’t comprehend the noble spirit that drives men to risk everything to protect women.”

“Are you both crazy? She’s just one person! You’d risk the lives of all the people in Tokyo, all the people in Japan, for her?”

“When you put it like that, it does seem unwise,” Caesar sighed. “But what can I do? Even if it costs the world, I can’t let one girl be sacrificed for some damned reason. My sense of justice won’t allow it.”

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