Chapter 25: Since Things Have Come to This, Let’s Eat First

"What... what do you mean?" Ye Sheng could not understand.

To be frank, Lu Mingfei’s answer was strictly by the book—the kind of response anyone who had finished middle school ethics class could give.

"A body without a soul is just a walking corpse. This is a metaphor for how, when the human bloodline percentage drops below fifty percent, we inevitably degenerate into ghouls—creatures that lose their sense of self and know only bloodlust and slaughter."

Guderian continued to elaborate: "A soul without a body is merely a wandering ghost. This hints that even if the physical forms of those noble First and Second Generation Dragons are destroyed, their souls can return to their 'cocoons' to await resurrection, though their threat level is greatly diminished."

Ye Sheng and Chi Te Yaki exchanged glances, both seeing the word "bewildered" in each other’s eyes—was it really that profound?

"Lu Mingfei’s bloodline is undeniably excellent. I even suspect that he experiences spirit visions in his sleep, dreaming of scenes he has never encountered, thereby catching a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg of the real world!"

Professor Guderian suddenly turned his head: "Did he hesitate or waver when he answered?"

Nono held up her thumb and index finger, pinching them together slightly: "A little bit."

"Then that’s it!" Guderian clapped his hands. "He must have already sensed that something was wrong."

"You said he was following in Chu Zihang’s footsteps; it is highly likely that he has long realized they belong to the same kind. The sudden appearance of Cassell College allowed him to catch the scent of his own kind, prompting him to verify it."

"Running away from home, impersonating a guardian to call me, and acting in ways completely contrary to his usual self without any hesitation—he is sending us a signal!"

Guderian’s gaze was sharp; his bright eyes behind his lenses seemed to hide a miniature Lu Mingfei:

"He is an outlier, he is searching for companions, and he is longing to join us!"

Ye Sheng & Chi Te Yaki: "..."

The red-haired girl couldn't help but rub her forehead: "Professor, don't you think you’re being a bit too far-fetched? Lu Mingfei definitely put on an act, but it shouldn't be to the extent of trying to catch our attention."

Watching Professor Guderian’s elderly face flushed with excitement, she couldn't help but pour a bucket of cold water on him:

"And from my observation, his attitude toward Cassell College is not as close as you say. On the contrary, it carries a degree of scrutiny and caution, as if we were some kind of terrifying monster."

"Young beasts are always inevitably overly cautious when leaving the nest; we should be understanding and tolerant," Professor Guderian said, tempering his excitement but still unable to refrain from making excuses for Lu Mingfei.

"Then your understanding and tolerance, Professor, are perhaps a bit too overflowing," Ye Sheng said with a bitter smile.

"You don't understand. It takes decades to produce one 'S'-rank candidate like this. If we miss out on him, the Principal will not let us off easily!"

The old professor’s expression grew slightly grave, clearly worried about the consequences of failing his superior's mission.

The three examiners were taken aback: "Is he really an S-rank?"

"Without a doubt." Professor Guderian nodded. "After repeated confirmation, he is the only 'S' among all the candidates. This interview was, in fact, prepared solely for him!"

Ye Sheng looked thoughtful, glancing at Nono, who showed no surprise at all: "You knew it all along?"

"It was too obvious." Nono yawned boredly. "The Professor’s thoughts are very easy to guess."

"Haha, is that so? It seems I’ll have to be more careful next time." Professor Guderian scratched his head and pulled out his phone, wanting to give Lu Mingfei a surprise.

However, he checked the time and realized it was already three in the morning; he didn't want to ruin Lu Mingfei’s peaceful sleep.

Seeing this, Nono spoke up, reminding him: "He only has a two-day leave note. If you don't reach out in advance, he will head straight to school tomorrow."

Guderian didn't hesitate to dial the number.

In a nearby hotel, an unpleasant ringtone blared. Lu Mingfei threw off the pillow he was clutching and grabbed his black phone, his voice laced with the irritation of a shattered dream:

"Whoever you are, you’d better have something important..."

"Haha, student Lu Mingfei, this is Professor Guderian!"

On the other end of the line was the old man, his voice as high-spirited as ever: "Congratulations! You have successfully passed the interview for Cassell College!"

The sentence made Lu Mingfei instantly clear-headed. He looked at the sky outside and blurted out:

"Is there something seriously wrong with your Cassell College? It’s bad enough that the approval process and the interview questions are so abstract, but you’re calling to offer congratulations in the middle of the night! Aren't you afraid I’d have a heart attack, get so scared I couldn't catch my breath, and end up making the whole school attend my funeral? If my aunt collects all the sympathy money, I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

"Huh?" Guderian was left dumbfounded by the sudden barrage.

In his expectations, Lu Mingfei should have been asking about the authenticity of the news with excitement, after which he would say encouragingly: "Of course it is true, you can join the Cassell family at any time. Now, tell me, are you willing to become one of us?"

Then Lu Mingfei would respond loudly with the gratitude of someone who had found his place: "Yes, I do!"

But now...

The divergence between fantasy and reality left Guderian somewhat frustrated, but he quickly composed himself and chuckled, skipping over the irrelevant topics:

"Hehe, perhaps you are a bit surprised, but this is a decision we made after careful consideration. Student Lu Mingfei, if you are free, I would like to have breakfast with you at eight o'clock this morning. The address is..."

With a legitimate reason for his leave handed to him on a silver platter, Lu Mingfei couldn't refuse. He set aside his annoyance at being disturbed and nodded reservedly:

"Ok, see you tomorrow!"

He hung up, turned over, and closed his eyes again, trying to return to that unreachable future in his dream.

However, a dream is not a game, and the probability of reconnecting after a disconnect is minimal.

As his consciousness drifted into chaos, Lu Mingfei vaguely heard a tiny, tiny voice, as if coming from across rolling mountains and vast mists, calling to him gently—

"Brother."

The call seemed to be a reminder that he had forgotten something very important.

...

The next morning, Lu Mingfei arrived at the Regent Hotel right on time.

His appearance today was slightly more formal than at yesterday's interview, primarily due to his attire.

When he left his uncle's house, he had packed two sets of clothes. The material was similar to what he had bought during his years of being a loner—all picked from street stalls.

But this outfit was a name brand bought at the Grand Department Store; it looked somewhat like what a student at a private elite school would wear.

In the VIP dining lounge on the ninth-floor executive level, Professor Guderian and the three student examiners were already waiting at a window-side table.

The moment Lu Mingfei stepped out of the elevator, the old man and the three youths all fixed their eyes on him.

As their gazes met, the burly, white-haired old man rose abruptly, greeting Lu Mingfei without any reserve, and shook his hand three times without a word:

"Hello! Lu Mingfei! You are indeed a talented young man who could pass the interview perfectly; you truly look dashing and full of spirit!"

"Hello, Professor Guderian. You are also full of vigor, possessing the demeanor of a great master of your generation."

Lu Mingfei offered a polite compliment in return. Anyone with eyes could see that the professor’s style was mimicking a certain disheveled physicist.

"Is that so? I thought you would praise my Chinese for being good, haha." Guderian smiled and led Lu Mingfei to the table to sit.

Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes inwardly. If I had known you were half-Chinese, what would knowing a little Chinese be worth?

More importantly, I’m curious how you turned from a scrawny old man into a twilight-years version of Schwarzenegger. Where did you buy those muscle-building pills? Give me some too.

Breakfast at the Regent Hotel was sumptuous, including expensive salmon rolls and freshly squeezed lemon juice, which looked appetizing enough to make one’s mouth water.

But Professor Guderian's burning gaze made Lu Mingfei feel as if he were the main course.

However, the die was cast.

"Let's eat first."