"How about this—I'll give you a raise later."
As a ruthless boss, one must master the art of making empty promises.
Ren Asakura didn't hesitate to draw a big pie in the sky.
"Boss, I've been paying for all our rides and internet these past few days. And you've got the nerve to talk about a raise? Last time, you even took all my pocket money!"
Mai gave him a wounded look.
A proper ruthless boss knows how to squeeze their employees, but not too hard. And above all, they must know how to sweet-talk.
"I trust you—that's why I gave you this job. I believe in your abilities, in your character. That's why I entrusted you with the role of nanny. I'm helping you grow! Money? That's just worldly stuff—it comes and goes."
Ren Asakura declared righteously, as if he were a truly benevolent employer.
Mai was stunned. She had never seen such a shameless and black-hearted boss.
Suddenly, she realized her previous employers weren't so bad after all.
At least they didn't drag her into stirring up Dragon Kings' lairs while skimming her already-meager wages.
---
That night, Old Tang had a dream.
A grand, majestic bronze arena, engulfed in war and flames.
"Brother… will you eat me?"
A child asked innocently.
"I will. And together, we will rule the world."
Suddenly, Old Tang jolted awake.
"Damn, what kind of dream was that? Must've been from what Lao Lu said earlier."
He shook his head and lay back down, but the drowsiness had already vanished.
---
The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are the mother rivers of China.
In ancient times, without modern technology, water was essential for the development of civilization.
Many great cultures were born along rivers.
Even today, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers remain vital—mismanaging them could lead to devastating floods.
The mighty Yangtze flows eastward.
Once a mother river, it's now a famous tourist destination.
At an airport in a city near the Yangtze River—
Old Tang arrived.
Fresh off the plane, the first thing he saw was Lu Mingfei in the arrivals area, holding up a sign.
He looked exactly the same as he did in their video calls.
Casually dressed, with a bit of a nerdy vibe. Thin and frail, holding up a sign that simply read "Old Tang."
But the beauty standing next to him was clearly out of place.
Long legs, statuesque figure, not an inch shorter than Lu Mingfei. A stunning and mature face with a cool, distant air. Dressed entirely in black, her aura gave off a cold elegance.
This was Mai.
She was glancing around the airport with bored eyes—but alert. After all, she already knew that the person they were about to meet was a Dragon King with amnesia: the King of Bronze and Fire, Norton.
To a Dragon King, hybrids were nothing more than thieves who stole divine authority.
"Hey, Lao Lu!"
In the noisy airport terminal, Old Tang's voice wasn't loud, but Lu Mingfei heard him clearly.
He waved the sign excitedly toward the crowd.
"Old Tang! Over here! Over here!!"
Dragging his suitcase, Old Tang pushed through the crowd.
"Excuse me, excuse me!"
Finally, he made it to Lu Mingfei.
Meeting an online friend in real life for the first time—they were both pumped.
"Old Tang, you look way more handsome in person than you did on video!"
Lu Mingfei put down the sign.
Old Tang grinned.
"You're not bad yourself, Lao Lu!"
Even though this was their first face-to-face meeting, their friendship had started long ago.
Monsters couldn't fit into the world of men—but monsters could still bring warmth to other monsters.
That was the sorrow carried in the blood of the dragons.
"Have you eaten yet? Since you're here now, today's meal is on me."
Lu Mingfei spoke with full confidence.
Mai's wary gaze lingered on Old Tang the entire time.
He looked too ordinary. And far too weak.
But no one could say when he might awaken.
In front of a Dragon King, hybrids would always be absolutely suppressed.
It was suppression rooted in blood.
Old Tang started feeling a little awkward under Mai's stare. He scratched his head and asked:
"These two your friends, Lao Lu?"
Ren Asakura grinned and slung an arm over Lu Mingfei's shoulder.
"What, you don't recognize me? Don't forget—10 wins, 10 losses!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Old Tang instantly exclaimed:
"You're that expert?!"
Ren Asakura nodded and extended his hand.
"Ren Asakura. Just a totally weak, average, nothing-special kind of guy."
His self-introduction was a bit strange, but Old Tang still reached out and shook his hand.
"Ronald Tang. You can call me Old Tang. I may not look it, but I'm actually a bounty hunter."
"So cool!"
Ren Asakura gave his hand an enthusiastic shake.
"And this gorgeous lady is…?"
Old Tang asked curiously.
Mai paused for a few seconds before answering coldly:
"Sakatoku Mai."
Ren Asakura chuckled and explained:
"Don't be fooled by how cold she looks—she's actually a good person. That's just her personality. You'll get used to it."
Old Tang leaned in and whispered, "Why does she keep staring at me? Did I do something to upset her?"
Ren Asakura shook his head.
"She can't help it—it's in her DNA."
The pressure of bloodlines.
And the long-standing war between hybrids and dragons.
That war had raged for thousands of years. There was no chance of reconciliation now.
Lu Mingfei waved his hand.
"You must be hungry. Let's go grab something to eat!"
They left the airport.
Lu Mingfei brought them straight to a street barbecue stall.
No other choice—he was broke and couldn't afford anything fancy.
Old Tang didn't mind.
He was just happy to have friends welcoming him.
Skewers and cheap beer—good vibes all around.
Mai kept watching Old Tang.
She found that the so-called Dragon King was nothing like what she'd imagined.
Even with his memories gone, he should still have some kind of innate charisma, right?
At the very least, he should've had that charmingly evil smile that made all the girls fall for him.
But instead… he was just a regular, average guy.
---
Night began to fall.
The group made their way to the banks of the Yangtze. A safety railing ran along the edge, with warning signs posted nearby.
Lu Mingfei leaned casually against the railing, unconcerned.
There weren't many people around.
Old Tang seemed to sense something was on Lu Mingfei's mind and spoke up.
"Lao Lu… if something's bothering you, just say it."
Lu Mingfei stared at the sea of lights in the distance.
"Old Tang… do you believe dragons exist in this world?"
After thinking it over, Lu Mingfei decided to just lay it all out—especially with the group leader around.
Old Tang blinked, unsure why Lu Mingfei would ask something like that.
"You mean, like the kind that fly around breathing fire and kidnapping princesses?"
Lu Mingfei was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Dragons come in all forms. But in the minds of most people in the West, that's exactly what they are—fire-breathing monsters, symbols of evil."
Old Tang let out a chuckle.
"There's no such thing as dragons, Lao Lu. You've been reading too many novels."
°°°
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