Dragon Raja 5; Chapter 277: For Your Majesty (92)

Dragon Raja 5

Christina immediately released Lu Mingfei, bent down and picked Zero up in her arms.

She was tall and slender while Zero was petite, so carrying her in a princess carry was effortless for her. Zero was taken aback and instinctively tried to struggle, but Christina had already picked her up and started running, leaving Lu Mingfei alone on the spot.

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment, then chuckled softly. Christina really was a straightforward girl. She was eager to run, but worried that Zero was too weak to run fast. In fact, even wearing high-heeled boots, the princess could outrun an antelope.

Watching the Tatar princess’s retreating figure as she ran and jumped, Lu Mingfei inexplicably thought of a nimble unicorn darting through the forest. His mood suddenly brightened, as if a crack had appeared in the gloom, letting in the sunlight.

They retraced their steps and rushed into the office. They had assumed Bunin had activated the security system and that heavily armed guards had sealed off the door, but the office was empty, with only a sip of vodka left on the table.

Christina put down Zero, her slender white finger almost touching Lu Mingfei’s nose. “The Federal Security Service will keep a record of everything you’ve done! It will reduce your sentence in court!”

That imposing and smug look on his face made Lu Mingfei want to laugh. But then he strangely thought of Yuan Zhisheng, and so he stopped laughing. Only those who are still children at heart would so steadfastly uphold their own sense of justice, right? Christina was like that, and so was Yuan Zhisheng, in fact.
So he simply said, “Thank you, Christina.”

Christina turned to open the office door, then froze. She twisted the handle hard, but the door wouldn’t budge. She pounded on the door a few times, the sound like striking a thick steel plate.

Lu Mingfei was startled and immediately understood why there were no guards in the office—because they weren’t needed. When the security system was activated, even a heavily armed company probably couldn’t breach the air-raid shelter.

Hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor behind him, and the faint sound of Bunin panting could be heard. He was getting old, and his stamina couldn’t compare to Lu Mingfei and Christina’s; he arrived back at the office a little later.

Christina pulled a tactical dagger hidden in her boot, her face fierce as if she were ready to fight Bunin to the death, but the anxious look in her eyes as she looked at Lu Mingfei betrayed her inner fear. Lu Mingfei sighed inwardly, pushing Christina’s shoulder and leading her into the old-fashioned beechwood wardrobe next to the desk—the only place in the office big enough to hide a grown woman. Zero’s assessment was completely in sync with Lu Mingfei’s; by the time Lu Mingfei placed his hand on Christina’s shoulder, she had already opened the wardrobe door.

The two sat down at the table, each raising their wine glasses. They exchanged glances and simultaneously gasped for breath, their tacit understanding like that of a leading actor and actress who had been acting opposite each other for years. It was as if the long run up the stairs they had just completed was a considerable burden for them.

Bunin, covered in mud and dust, stumbled into the office, turned around and closed the entrance with the remote control, then leaned on his knees and gasped for breath.

“Your Highness, Mr. Lu, it’s so good that you’re alright.” After catching his breath, Bunin sat down on the sofa, grabbed his wine glass and downed it in one gulp, then poured himself another. “It seems that an intelligence agent from the Federal Security Service boarded our train!”

As expected of a seasoned veteran, Bunin deduced Christina’s identity based solely on that “Raven” semi-automatic pistol.

“I’m afraid your secret can’t be kept anymore.” Zero’s tone remained indifferent.

Bunin smiled mysteriously. “So what? If this were Moscow, that brave intelligence officer would have already taken pictures of everything and sent them out. But this is City 023; even satellite phones aren’t working here. He’s still in the bomb shelter; I just locked all the exits. If our friend is a smart man, he’ll soon be knocking on that door and surrendering.” He paused, swirling the wine in his glass, staring into Zero’s eyes. “Your Highness, I’ve revealed my hand to you both. Would you have the honor of reveal yours?”

“You mean the actual coordinates?”

“Of course!” Bunin shrugged. “Business is a two-way street. Siberia is my territory. Without my help, you would never have been able to find that throne. And I would very much like to have the honor of becoming your partner!”

“You think you can exchange the coordinates of the throne for just the remains of a reptile?” Zero shook his head. “Mr. Bunin, your offer is not enough.”

“That’s not a reptile! That’s a dragon! A living dragon!” Bunin’s indignant expression was clearly feigned, like a vendor in a market who had just been ripped off by a customer. “So what can I do to gain your trust?”

“I need to know who ordered General Vatutin’s execution. There can only be one reason for his execution: to silence him,” Zero said slowly. “The secret of that throne is not known only to you and me. Without finding the person who gave the execution order, how can we share the throne? With your influence in Moscow, Mr. Bunin, you should be able to find out. I have the patience to wait. Now, please open the door to this office. and pose no threat. I would appreciate it if you could show us around your hometown.”

Zero stood up and extended her hand to Bunin. When she made this gesture, it always carried an irresistible air of authority, as if allowing you to touch her was a courtesy.

Lu Mingfei secretly rejoiced. Once they left the office, Christina would have a chance to slip away. He hadn’t told Zero about Christina, and Zero hadn’t asked him why he was helping this seemingly unreliable intelligence agent, but she knew Lu Mingfei didn’t want anything to happen to Christina, so she quietly did what she was told.

“It’s my pleasure to serve you, Your Highness.” Bunin sighed, took Zero’s hand, and symbolically rubbed it with his mustache-covered lips as a hand kiss.

Bunin pressed a button on the remote control, and the office door with the bulletproof steel plate inside opened automatically.

Just as Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief, Bunin suddenly sneezed loudly, and Lu Mingfei, feeling an itch in his nose, sneezed as well.