hotmtlnovel 097 Afternoon Tea
097 Afternoon Tea
"Neglect of duty, Angers." In the church bell tower, the night watchman poured a martini for the principal of Angers. "He gave the researchers in the ice cellar an early holiday, shut down the security system, and temporarily changed the duty roster to require them to be on duty alone, but he was not at his post when he was supposed to be on duty."
"What exactly do you want to do?" the Night's Watchman asked.
"Nurturing the next generation—that is precisely my duty as the principal of Kassel College," the principal said calmly.
"Is this how you raise the next generation?" The Night Watchman was silent for a moment. "The largest mass injury incident since the school was founded, dozens of people with severe burns and scalds, not to mention countless others with minor injuries. If Lu Mingfei hadn't arrived in time..."
"But he still showed up." Principal Angers finished his martini. "A hero always makes his appearance at the last moment."
"He's a little better than you; at least he showed up, while you went off to deal with politicians."
"The younger generation is growing up rapidly, and they are ready to take on the responsibility of protecting this world. All I need to do is smooth things over and handle the logistics. As for the rest, let these young people with unlimited potential do their own thing."
"You think Lu Mingfei is the new generation leader we've been waiting for," the Night's Watchman said. "That kid, you have high hopes for him?"
"I have high hopes for him. He's already one of the most talented young men of all time, or perhaps not even one of them," Angers said. "Perhaps he can replace us two old guys."
"Will he be the next headmaster?" the Night's Watchman asked.
"It's too early to say this, it sounds like a preordained decision," Angers said, "but I believe he will be elected as the leader by everyone in the future."
"But his composition is too complex: inexplicable psychological trauma, unrecorded incantations, absolute attack and absolute defense coexisting, extremely high output power and negligible consumption, and absolute stability." The Night Watchman sighed, "Even hybrids who have enhanced their bloodlines and reached the level of 'Hybrid Monarch' are not this outrageous."
"But he can kill the Dragon King, and that's enough," Angers said.
"Is he killing the Dragon King for humanity, or... eliminating a threat for himself?" the Night Watchman murmured.
"At least for now, we're on the same page," Angers said. "Trust Lu Mingfei; he's still struggling with his feelings for two girls."
Angers left the clock tower and dialed a number. "Lu Mingfei, this is Angers. I'd like to invite you to have tea in my office."
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In the principal's office at Kassel College, Lu Mingfei and Principal Angers were having afternoon tea across a large desk.
Being invited to afternoon tea by the principal is an honor that Kassel College envied even more than a scholarship. Lu Mingfei was also very happy because Zero still believed that Lu Mingfei's wound should not be exposed to water and that someone should wipe his back with a wet towel.
Lu Mingfei was too afraid to refuse, so he could only use the excuse of having afternoon tea to run away.
"This is Bifeng tea from Xiling Gorge, a tribute tea from the Tang Dynasty. The raw material is limited to tender buds from the northern bank of the Xiling Gorge before the Qingming Festival. It has a bright green color, a chestnut aroma and a light fragrance, and a mellow taste." Principal Angers pushed a cup of green tea in front of Lu Mingfei and said, "I brought it from the Three Gorges. Try it."
Lu Mingfei picked up the bone china cup and took a sip. He looked around and saw that the office walls were covered with oil paintings and bookshelves that reached the ceiling, filled with sets of hardcover books and rubbings of ancient books.
Wow, that's so luxurious...
Lu Mingfei still hadn't gotten used to this kind of luxury.
"Have another pancake," Angers said.
"No need, tea is fine, it's very good." Lu Mingfei couldn't taste the tea. He drank oolong tea the most because of the shift in the Earth's axis, the Third New Tokyo City was always in summer, and tea that could cool people down was good tea.
"When I heard that the entire school worked together to kill the Dragon King Constantine, I felt very gratified," Angers said with a smile on his face as he looked at Lu Mingfei. "I am honored to rate you as S-class. Indeed, your presence has profoundly influenced everyone."
"I didn't do anything..." Lu Mingfei said helplessly. Why is everyone staring at him and trying to link everything to him? "Maybe they could have cooperated anyway. What about chivalry and nobility? They would have gone to slay the dragon even without me."
"Perhaps, but it's definitely not like that. You underestimate yourself. You don't have to do anything; heroes and beauties will automatically gather around you," Angers exclaimed. "Isn't that proof of leadership qualities? Youth is truly wonderful."
"I'd rather not have this inexplicable aura." Lu Mingfei looked out the window. The principal's office was an inconspicuous two-story building near the library, offering a view of half of the school's ruins and the other half of its intact buildings.
Lu Mingfei heard about the battle on campus. The team that simulated the Earth and the Mountain King had made a great contribution, specifically simulating terrain attacks during the exercises. In the actual battle, their skilled teamwork allowed them to quickly construct various fortifications, a crucial element in resisting the high temperatures of Constantine.
But the real reason these people were able to hold Constantine back was that he was focused on finding his brother. He didn't understand why these people were attacking him, nor did he want to fight them.
"Troubled? Girl?" Angers looked at Lu Mingfei with a half-smile. "I saw the photos of Zero picking you up in a helicopter to go back to school."
Lu Mingfei hadn't been worrying about anything before, but after hearing what Angers said, he realized that he had indeed been troubled by girls lately...
"No, I was just wondering, is the relationship between humans and dragons necessarily one of mortal enmity?" Lu Mingfei changed the subject.
"You didn't have this mindset during the Kuimen operation. What made you change your mind?" Angers asked, taking a sip of tea.
"Constantine doesn't seem to have any intention of being our enemy. All his actions are self-defense. If we just let him go, this battle wouldn't have even happened," Lu Mingfei said.
"The very existence of the Dragon King is a threat, regardless of his intentions, even if he were to be close to humans," Angers said calmly.
Lu Mingfei recalled the wildfires started by Constantine. After the fighting ended, fire trucks and helicopters continued to extinguish the fires, but there were always a few places where the embers reignited. As a result, Kassel College closed for a week, and students left the school so that workers could focus on repairing the campus.
This was the first day of school reopening, and the school square was still empty. Many students had bruises, and the school was deserted.
"Lu Mingfei, we're planning our next operation. Based on the analysis of the items from the last mission, we discovered that the Bronze and Fire King, along with the other three Dragon Kings, are twins. That means there's another Bronze and Fire King outside, and perhaps he's already sensed his brother's death." Angers stared into Lu Mingfei's eyes. "We must be prepared at all times for Norton's revenge."
"I'm ready..." Lu Mingfei lowered his head, thinking about how to persuade Old Tang.
"Excellent!" Angers said with satisfaction. "At the end of this semester, the school will form an action team to go to the Three Gorges and Qutang Gorge."
"Where again?" Lu Mingfei was surprised. Old Tang, who was such a dog in StarCraft, how did he become Norton and go back to the original base to develop?
"Perhaps it's because it's a place he's familiar with, or perhaps it's arrogance," Angers said. "In any case, the operation is scheduled for March 16th to 22nd next year, which falls during the spring break. The members' intensive training is scheduled for the winter break from December 20th to January 25th, so it won't interfere with their studies at all!"
Lu Mingfei was exhausted and protested, "They're not giving us any rest at all! This is inhumane!"
"I give you full marks for your internship," Angers said.
"I want to be exempt from the exam!"
"make a deal."