Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 132: Su Xiaoquian’s Spring Strategy (6)

Dragon Raja 4

Suddenly, she missed the golden irises on the island of flowers, missed the sunshine there. She had once desperately wanted to escape that place, but now she kind of wanted to go back.

Nono walked into a phone booth, took the receiver off the hook, and inserted a phone card. Cell phones were too easily monitored by EVA, so after leaving Malta, they had all stopped using them. She recited the number starting with 0039—Italy’s country code—one more time in her head. It was a secure line to the Gattuso family.

Caesar had once forced her to memorize the number, saying that if she was ever kidnapped, she should tell her captors to call that number. As long as the call lasted more than three minutes, no matter where in the world it was made from, they could track her down. Nono had begrudgingly memorized it, feeling it was unnecessary. After all, not many ordinary people could kidnap her, and if dragons took her, they wouldn’t be asking for ransom. But in the end, she couldn’t argue with Caesar, so she committed it to memory.

She never imagined that one day she would actually need to use it. Caesar was probably waiting by that phone right now, having waited for a long time.

Nono felt like she was on the verge of collapse. This farce had to end. It was time to hand the situation over to someone else. Finger was always pushing her with his provocations, and she was too easily provoked. When pushed, she’d flare up, and once flared up, she made bad decisions. The person she should trust most right now wasn’t Lu Mingfei or Finger—it was Caesar. Caesar was no longer the reckless young man he used to be; he had become someone who could bear responsibility. Meanwhile, Lu Mingfei, on the other hand, was becoming harder and harder to understand—sometimes mad, sometimes foolish. When drinking with his female classmates, he was full of life, far removed from the stray dog she once took in.

She began dialing the number, 0039-8642-XXXX. Doing this felt like a betrayal of Finger and Lu Mingfei. She took several deep breaths, trying to shake that thought away. It was time for her to make a decision. Lu Mingfei was spiraling, Finger was being reckless. She was doing this for everyone’s good. But her fingers felt heavy as she dialed, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was betraying them.

“No, this isn’t betrayal! It’s correcting the original mistake!” a voice in her mind shouted.

But another small voice whispered, “No, no, no… don’t do this… don’t… someone will be really hurt if you do this.”

In the Rome division of the Execution Bureau, Caesar sat in an old-fashioned armchair, sipping whiskey. It was a soft, sunny afternoon. Lately, he’d been spending his free time here, staring at the phone on the desk. He believed Nono would call him once she came to her senses. Once this phone rang, all the problems would be solved. But the phone had remained silent. Several times, Caesar had almost asked Parsi to get someone to check if the line was faulty.

He wasn’t worried that his fiancée had run off with his brother, but he knew that people would be snickering behind his back about the situation. He had to admit that Lu Mingfei held a significant place in Nono’s heart. The pressure from the Pantheon was also becoming apparent. Alpha had been gentle but clear—the Gattuso bride must be pure in both body and reputation. For ordinary royal families, this was a matter of face, but for noble hybrid families, it was crucial. It was about the purity of future generations’ bloodlines, and that was a matter of life and death.

The best solution was for Nono to call him. He could personally step in, and once the college captured them, Nono could be brought back to Rome without much fuss. If the college acted first, it would be an ugly situation.

“The halt of the European oil pipeline project has caused the family’s Russian oil and gas fields to see a 22% decline in production in the first quarter.”

“Our investments in the European stock and bond markets saw a 7% increase in the first quarter.”

“Our 14 internet and new financial funds saw a 3.5% increase in fair value in the first quarter.”

Parsi read the family’s financial summary for the first quarter line by line, but Caesar’s mind wasn’t on it at all.

If time could turn back two or three years, he wouldn’t care about face. He wouldn’t be sitting in this office in Rome, listening to reports. He’d be out there with a plane, searching the world for Nono. But now he was the de facto leader of the Execution Bureau’s Italian branch, the future head of the Gattuso family, and a representative director of the college. A person like that had to care about appearances. He had to act like everything was under control.

It’s strange, just like Parsi said, the initial reason Caesar decided to become someone who could take responsibility was due to an inexplicable fear—the fear that he wouldn’t be able to protect the people around him. Yet, in the end, he found himself tied down.

The phone suddenly rang, and Caesar’s thoughts were cut off like a swift knife had slashed through them. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating and looked at Parsi for confirmation. Seeing the same surprised look in Parsi’s eyes, Caesar practically lunged at the phone, grabbing the receiver and feeling its slight vibration.

He slowly lifted the receiver to his ear, almost too afraid to speak. For several seconds, all he could hear was the sound of wind, rain, and tired breathing.

“Caesar? Is that you?” Nono’s voice finally came through the line.

At that moment, Caesar felt like he might cry, but he held himself together, taking deep breaths and responding softly, “Yes, it’s me. Wait for me just a moment.”

He covered the receiver and turned to Parsi. “Trace this call!”

“Tell me where you are, and in a few hours, someone will come to pick you up,” Caesar said gently. “You made the call, and that’s enough. Leave the rest to me.”

His voice was so warm, it felt like it could even dispel the cold on her end.

“I’m fine. Are you doing okay?” Nono’s voice was also soft. “Is there anything you need me to explain?”

“Oh, it’s just the old men at home nagging,” Caesar said. “I don’t need any explanations. Is Finger and Lu Mingfei with you?”

“They’re here, but I didn’t tell them I was going to call. I have a few reasons for calling you: first, the area we’re in is surrounded by a strange storm, possibly an elemental vortex, and something big might be waking up nearby. Second, Lu Mingfei might really have a mental issue. His behavior is hard to explain—his memories seem to be mixed with strange things, and profiling doesn’t work on him.”

“Did you find Chu Zihang?”

“We did. He was Lu Mingfei’s middle school classmate and died when he was fifteen.”

Caesar felt a wave of relief wash over him. So, the vice principal’s warning about “changing the past” hadn’t happened; it was just that Lu Mingfei had issues.

“I see. Find a safe place to rest. I’ll send someone to bring you straight to Rome. I should be the one picking you up, but I need to first explain the situation to the Council of Elders.”

“What about Lu Mingfei and Finger? Can they come to Rome too?”

Caesar was silent for a moment. “They’ll be sent back to the college. Finger won’t be in much trouble, maybe expelled from the Execution Bureau at worst. As for Lu Mingfei, it depends on the investigation. That’s not something you can control.”

Nono glanced at the cheap plastic digital watch on her wrist. Two minutes had already passed.

She knew Caesar’s team was tracing the call. She didn’t need to tell him her location—he’d know in another minute.

“After you ran away, the monastery went into an uproar. The girls were all taken home by their families because not only did one male intruder appear, but there were two,” Caesar switched the subject.

It was just small talk to pass the remaining minute, so he wouldn’t have to keep asking Nono where she was.

“That’s good. I don’t want to go back, and they probably don’t want to see me either.”

“No problem. It was my fault for sending you there in the first place.”

Someone knocked on the side of the phone booth. Through the glass, Nono saw a boy in a black suit with a white bowtie standing in the rain, holding an oversized umbrella.

Was he looking to use the phone? Or maybe he was lost and needed help? Why would a kid his age be out alone in the middle of the night? He was dressed so neatly, almost like a lost little prince.

The boy leaned against the rain-soaked glass, silently staring at Nono. She was startled, crouching down to meet his gaze so they were at eye level.

She didn’t recognize him, but there was something vaguely familiar about him. The boy was exceptionally beautiful, his clothes delicate, like a porcelain doll. Any parent with a child like this would cherish him like a treasure.

Why would such a precious child be wandering the streets alone on a stormy night? He seemed so lonely, like a little puppy that had been kicked out of its home.

“Are you looking for me?” Nono asked softly.

At first, the boy showed no expression, but then he pursed his lips, and his pretty face twisted slightly in a grimace, though a single tear slid down his cheek.

Nono wasn’t sure how long they stared at each other—maybe just a second, or maybe several minutes passed.

Finally, the boy spoke, though his voice was swallowed by the wind and rain. But Nono could read his lips.

He was saying, “No, don’t do it. If you do this, someone will be very sad.”

Nono was stunned, a sharp pain piercing her heart, like a bone had fractured. But how could there be bones in her heart?