Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 89: Young Schoolmates (5)

Dragon Raja 4

Suddenly, the principal paused, turning to the dean, “Why isn’t Mingfei’s photo on this wall? Take a picture of him today and put it up!”

The dean quickly whispered in his ear, “Principal, the photo wall isn’t easily changed. The people up there now are all high-ranking leaders. Mingfei is still young.”

The principal nodded slightly, “Mingfei doesn’t need his picture up here—don’t forget, when we built the new school gate, the face of that boy holding the space shuttle was modeled after him!”

Lu Mingfei thought back to the statue by the gate, realizing that the boy’s droopy eyes did look somewhat familiar, and the girl’s features bore a faint resemblance to Su Xiaoqian.

At that moment, the loudspeaker outside began to blare, “Dear parents and students, welcome! On this important day of Shilan Middle School’s 50th-anniversary celebration, alumni from all over have returned to reunite with their schoolmates! Today, we are honored to invite our outstanding graduate, Lu Mingfei, to share his deep feelings for his alma mater!”

Lu Mingfei had no choice but to agree with a resigned sigh. The principal and the teachers surrounded him, leading him out of the conference hall and onto the rooftop terrace of the library.

Looking down at the schoolyard, he couldn’t help but think of Chu Zihang. Back then, he had envied the way Chu Zihang didn’t have to participate in morning exercises, instead standing on high ground and grading the others. Now, even this honor had shifted to him, as if some mischievous little devil was playing a trick on him. He had suspected that all this might be Lu Mingze’s doing, but ever since Chu Zihang’s disappearance, no matter how much he called, the little devil had refused to appear.

The sky quickly darkened, and rain started to fall. Umbrellas opened like flowers all over the schoolyard. Parents and students alike looked up expectantly at the sharply dressed young man standing above them.

Lu Mingfei knew what they were waiting for: a story of perseverance and inspiration—how a middle school student worked hard, disciplined himself, overcame hardships, and eventually won the favor of an American university, now poised to return home to contribute to society. But he had no such story to tell. His lifelong dream was still to coast through life, ideally with a girl he liked, who also liked him, to waste away with him. He hadn’t set any lofty goals for himself, and if he had achieved anything to date, it was all forced upon him—like a tricycle thrown onto the Nürburgring racetrack, having no choice but to race alongside F1 cars just to survive.

Fortunately, Mr. Chen, the politics teacher, had shoved a speech script into his hands. “Just read it, just read it!” Mr. Chen had said.

“Thank you, Mr. Chen!” Lu Mingfei, feeling as if a burden had been lifted, cleared his throat and began to read, “As a graduate of Shilan Middle School, I am honored to have this opportunity to speak as a student representative. On this beautiful day, we gather at our alma mater to express our gratitude and celebrate Shilan Middle School’s 50th birthday. For fifty years, the school has weathered many storms, passing the torch from one generation to the next, finally reaching this moment of abundant harvest…”

The rain began to fall harder, and the world around him became gray and misty. Most people had retreated under the eaves, leaving Lu Mingfei alone, still reciting the script word by word.

Across the yard, a red-haired girl leaned against the window of the opposite building, arms crossed, her expression indifferent. The four-leaf clover pendant hanging by her ear swayed, catching the dim light.

Through the rain and gloom, Lu Mingfei seemed to understand her cold smile. After all these years, he was still the same—following orders, saying things he didn’t mean.

“The rain is too heavy. I’m not finishing this!” Lu Mingfei tossed the script into the wind. “There’s nothing more to say! Thanks to the teachers, thanks to my classmates, thanks to everyone at Shilan Middle School!”

The teachers were bewildered, unsure why this well-behaved model student had suddenly acted out. But the parents applauded enthusiastically. After all, an exceptional child always had his reasons. If he braved the rain to finish his speech, it showed he was disciplined. If he stopped halfway, it showed he was adaptable and unorthodox.

A middle-aged man clapped even more vigorously than the others, even whistling at Lu Mingfei. When Lu Mingfei looked over, he recognized the slicked-back, oily hair, the buttoned-up polo tucked into belted pants that flapped as he walked—this was clearly the trendiest middle-aged man in the area.

It was his uncle, who had apparently come to participate in the school anniversary event. Lu Mingfei could understand if his uncle attended a car show or an anime expo—there were always models or cosplayers—but why would he come to a school open day? Both he and Lu Mingze had graduated, so there was no reason for his uncle to care about their alma mater anymore… unless his uncle was using this as an opportunity for a date with a certain lady? Lu Mingfei’s mind wandered down a strange, slightly wicked path, but then he realized that didn’t make sense either. For a date, his uncle would come alone, and yet he was accompanied by a towering man holding an umbrella, whose face practically screamed “bodyguard.”

His uncle, with his bodyguard in tow, leisurely made his way onto the terrace. Before he could speak to Lu Mingfei, the vice-principal and a group of teachers rushed up, calling, “Chairman Lu! Chairman Lu!”

Lu Mingfei perked up his ears, listening to their conversation, and realized his uncle was actually a school board member.

Surprisingly, Lu Mingfei wasn’t too shocked by this. If he could suddenly become the top student at Shilan, why couldn’t his uncle be on the school board? After all, the men of the Lu family weren’t half bad.

He sized up his uncle, who oozed style—Montblanc watch, Zegna trousers, Ferragamo shoes, a Dunhill briefcase. From Europe to America, this man was decked out in top-tier brands. The gold-inlaid jade ring on his finger glittered in the light, completing the look. This was exactly the persona his uncle had dreamed of becoming all those years ago.

His uncle extended his hand to shake Lu Mingfei’s, maintaining an air of dignity. Just as Lu Mingfei began to feel sentimental about how distant they had become, his uncle grabbed his wrist.

Staring at Lu Mingfei’s wristwatch, his uncle’s eyes lit up. “Kid, you’re doing well for yourself in the U.S.! Isn’t this an IWC ‘Spitfire’? This thing’s impossible to get, no matter how much money you’ve got!”

His uncle patted him on the back and, turning to the principal, said, “Mingfei came back without saying a word, and I didn’t get any heads-up either. The boy’s clueless, but as his uncle, I can’t let this go without doing something. Tonight, I’m throwing a banquet at the Regent Hotel—Principal, teachers, you all must come! And bring all of Mingfei’s classmates too! After dinner, we’ll head to my place for a foot massage!”

When a board member was offering hospitality, the principal and teachers all eagerly accepted the invitation. The old classmates were also excited to join the festivities. Only Zhao Menghua tried to excuse himself, claiming he had to attend a Bible study that evening. But Chen Wenwen quickly suggested that it wasn’t a big deal to miss one study session—it wouldn’t make Jesus doubt their faith. Lu Mingfei hurriedly chimed in that it was no problem, no need to interrupt their commitment to God. However, Zhao Menghua couldn’t leave his girlfriend to attend the event alone, so he called to cancel his Bible study plans.

At this point, Finger arrived with Nono. He immediately hugged the principal and introduced himself as Lu Mingfei’s senior from Cassell College, now graduated and running his own office on London’s financial street. He added that Lu Mingfei would be his future business partner. Although the principal found Finger’s scruffy appearance off-putting, his fluent Chinese and charismatic demeanor suggested he was indeed someone of significance. The principal enthusiastically struck up a conversation with him.

Finger first lavishly praised Shilan Middle School’s renovation, saying it rivaled Cornell and Stanford, predicting it would one day be a century-old prestigious school. He then explained that he had returned to China with Lu Mingfei not just for the anniversary but also to explore investment opportunities, expressing gratitude to Shilan for cultivating such an outstanding young talent for the global financial industry!

Finger’s flattery hit every mark, delighting the principal, who was pleased to discuss his own educational ideals of fostering a “new era of aristocratic spirit.”

As for Nono, Finger introduced her as a graduate student from Cassell College, visiting China as a tourist, conveniently accompanying him and Lu Mingfei. The principal, noting Nono’s aloof demeanor, gave her only a polite greeting.

That evening, over a hundred people packed into the Regent Hotel, where Lu Mingfei’s uncle had reserved the entire second floor, transforming the ballroom into a grand dining hall with dozens of tables filled with food, resembling a wedding banquet. As soon as his uncle took his seat at the head table, the hotel manager rushed over to inquire about the evening’s menu. Without looking at the menu, his uncle casually ordered Maotai liquor for the night, a few cases of beer for those who didn’t drink liquor, and specified the restaurant’s signature dishes (stir-fried sea cucumber with green onions, braised free-range chicken in yellow sauce, and two-color fish head stew) had to be on their order. He added, “Throw in a few more flavorful dishes as well.”

In the past, Lu Mingfei’s uncle preferred hosting guests at a small restaurant near home. While he ordered generously, the priciest dishes were still things like Dongpo pork or braised pig knuckles, the goal being to provide filling portions. Now, however, he had truly made it, serving only premium dishes and high-end alcohol. On the way to the hotel, Lu Mingfei had learned his uncle’s backstory—at around age 15, after being dismissed from his government job for making a mistake, his uncle pivoted to the private sector and opened a foot spa. Now, he had become the local king of foot massage. After Lu Mingfei and Lu Mingze enrolled in Shilan Middle School, the school saw Lu’s uncle as an ideal sponsor and a parent invested in education. He was invited to join the school board as an honorary director. The recent renovations to the school’s gym and library were funded by his uncle’s generous donations.

Brother Zhang Facai sat with Lu’s uncle at the head table, toasting with the principal and teachers. At the table with the students, Piao Zhiyu was seated at the head, with Lu Mingfei across from her. Nono remained cold and distant, while Zhao Menghua and the Xu brothers all looked somewhat intimidated by Senior Sister Piao. Lu Mingfei, curious, asked why, only to find out about the damage Senior Sister Piao had inflicted on the male student body at Shilan back in the day—although they hadn’t known her name at the time. Xu Miao explained that back when an American university sent Senior Sister Piao to China to interview applicants, every male student who entered the room had been awestruck by her aristocratic aura, long legs, and stunning beauty. They were soon tongue-tied under the pressure of her sharp, American-accented questions and left the interview utterly defeated. In the end, it was Lu Mingfei who walked into the interview room, starting with a fierce debate that eventually turned into casual conversation. The difficulty level was comparable to debating in the U.S. Congress. Senior Sister Piao decided on the spot to admit Lu Mingfei and asked him to arrive on campus early to familiarize himself with the environment. However, Lu Mingfei politely declined, saying he had to attend the farewell event for the literature club. Unable to persuade him, Senior Sister Piao reluctantly scheduled his flight for the night after the farewell event.

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