Scene 2: Golden Pupils (5)

“I am sorry to disturb you, Angers. However, there’re some unsolvable issues. In this year’s “freedom day”, students are suspected of violating the special school rules. Members of Lionheart and Student Union used Frigg bullets and made the whole campus as a battlefield, many people were injured… They also damaged a lot of buildings. It’s a very bad situation!” Professor Manstein exclaimed seriously, “And our proud students, especially Chu Zihang, President of Lionheart Association, and Caesar Gattuso, President of Student Union, have no respect for the Discipline Committee.”

“Oh, Caesar has always been like that, and Manstein you ought to get used to it.” Said the principal blandly.

Professor Manstein hesitated for a moment. “We still need to consider the cost… The preliminary calculation of the maintenance cost is about 240,000 dollars… And that doesn’t include the lawn. They stepped your favourite Bermuda lawn looks like plowed farmland!”

“Well, Caesar, as the richest student in the college, would you mind spending the money to resurface my beloved Bermuda lawn?” The principal asked.

“As you wish.” Caesar shrugged. The guy was even fluent enough to use idioms in Chinese.

“Well, I was only joking, get the money out of the trustees’ fund. After all, the students worked so hard to win the ‘freedom day’ from us on the anniversary.” The principal laughed brightly, “Don’t forget your study life. My dear students, I really hope to have a happy ‘freedom day’ with you.”

The students looked at each other, clapped and cheered, threw the armbands off their arms into the air, twisted their arms around each other’s shoulders, and made funny faces at Professor Manstein.

Lu Mingfei also clapped his hands and nodded happily to show that “Hey, I’m the same as you, and I’m also very happy for you to tease that bald old guy”. As a newcomer, he quickly recognized his position, to stay in this college, he cannot be seen by students as the kind of “teacher’s puppy”. Being students’ public enemies will be dead for sure.

“There’s one more person I want to ask.” The principal shouted on the phone.

Everyone froze, and the campus became quiet.

“Isn’t the ‘S’ freshman Lu Mingfei there? Have you finished your course-chosen? Did you choose my Introduction to the Dragon Lineage?” The principal’s voice echoed around.

The students’ eyes filled with wonder, and everyone began to whisper.

“Maybe… I remember… I took it.” Lu Mingfei had to say that. Professor Guderian took the phone from Professor Manstein’s hand and handed it to him.

“I’m very glad to hear your voice. You took Caesar and Chu Zihang down on the first day of entering the school. I’m looking forward to meeting you in class! You must do better work than the ‘S’ before!” The principal hung up.

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, did not understand how to do “better work”. How can he compare with the senior who suicided because of philosophical issues? Swallow a canon? Suddenly he felt the temperature drop around him. He looked around. All eyes around him were focused on him, cold and hostile.

The sun slanted in through the porthole, and the man in the shadow hung up the phone, leaning back in his chair and breathing silently. Looking out of the porthole was a river, and the ship was passing between two hills.

“Caesar and Chu Zihang made troubles in school again?” The middle-aged man across the table asked, “The maintenance cost of ‘freedom day’ is higher than last year, maybe it should be controlled. The gifted students like the wild lifestyle, but they should be strictly disciplined soldiers.”

“I gave them space on purpose. Ten years ago, Cassel College was a secret military fortress. But Maans, do you remember that setback ten years ago?”

The middle-aged man nodded and took a sip of black tea from the table. “No one will forget.”

“The well-trained army was gone. All of them. I had to rethink my approach to education, and maybe in the war with the dragons, what we need is not the army, but talent.” The principal switched to English. “Somebody.”

“Somebody?”

“The One! A unique genius, a leader, a dragon slayer that even dragon kings will get afraid, one is enough! Like my friend Maynic Cassel!” The principal said in low voice, “The cultivation of genius requires an environment of freedom.”

“Perhaps. Caesar and Chu Zihang are an unprecedented genius, but Lu Mingfei… You ranked him ‘S’.” The middle-aged man frowned, “I put CC1000 to pick up him lately to extend his observation period deliberately, but… “

“He’s so ordinary, isn’t he?” The principal smiled.

“I have no idea what he can do.”

“Don’t be too surprised to hear it. I don’t know enough about what Lu Mingfei can do. But his ‘S’ is justified and I can’t tell you yet.” The principal said, “He could be the genius we were hoping for, or he could just be a piece of garbage.”

“Let a pile of rubbish be caught between Caesar and Chu Zihang, it will burst.”

The principal scratched his gray hair. “It’s too early to say he’s a trash.” He stood up and looked out of the porthole. It was the middle of a flood. On the banks of the river, the dark green grass was covered with small white flowers.

“We are passing over ‘Kui Men’. 1) Before the Three Gorges Dam, the mountains on both sides were like pillars of a gate.” The principal said softly, “Ancient Chinese people said ‘Kui Dragon’, referring to a one-legged ancient dragon. Does “Kui Men” mean that they once saw a dragon swimming in the river here? When does “Kui Men” plan to start?”

“In a week.” The middle-aged man said, “Ye Sheng and Aki are ready. They are the best men I have under my command, with modified Vessel Moniaher, I’m confident enough.”

“If it’s really like what we guess before, don’t wake him. King of Bronze and Fire, noble first generation. No one can determine his power.” The principal said, “Come back safe and sound.”

In the dead of night, Lu Mingfei sat cross-legged on the bunk bed, staring out of the window in a daze.

He was placed in student dorm 1303, a double room with Fingel. When Lu Mingfei walked into the dormitory with his head hunched, Fingel was sleeping soundly on the upper bunk, seems that guns can’t influence him at all.

“Is everything ok?” Fingel poked his head from the top bunk.

“You have no idea what happened today.” Lu Mingfei sighed.

“I do, your heroic deeds had spread throughout the campus. You are on the campus news network today, and the title is quite sensational.” Fingel held the computer down for Lu Mingfei.

“To whom does the crown of the freedom day belong? And who blew up Caesar and then blew up Chu Zihang?”

Below are large photos of Lu Mingfei, with his student number, dorm number, age, native place and all the information. The last line marked courteously: “SINGLE!”

“Like a lonely hearts announcement…” Said Lu Mingfei.

“It’s a WANTED!” Fingel said, “You don’t seem to know what you’re doing.”

“I didn’t do anything, I was just a little excited. The bullets were flying everywhere, you didn’t want to defend yourself if it’s you?” Lu Mingfei pleaded.

“Self-defense is ok, but can you call it self-defense when two shots are fired at Caesar and Chu Zihang who were holding only cold weapons? And you have to know that you are the winner of freedom day this year. You have just completed the admission procedures, so you are the school’s proper students. You are eligible to participate in the freedom day as a third party to participate in the battlefield. As the last survivor, you won!”

“Are there bonus credits?”

“It’s a lot more than that. First, you get a year’s use of ‘NORTON HALL’! Secondly, direct access to next year’s ‘College Star’ final! In the end,” Fingel said, “the first girl you pursued in the college couldn’t turn you down and had to have a relationship with you for at least three months.”

“I have a very bad feeling…” Lu Mingfei was alarmed.

“Do you now know why you are the public enemy of all the men in the college?” Fingel said, “Move over the mouse to your photo.”

Then where mouse placed suddenly jumped out a blood-red fork with lines clearly, “Did you see this guy! This asshole! Who’s going to kill him?”

Lu Mingfei petrified completely.

“Bang Bang”, it’s someone knocking on the door, Lu Mingfei jumped like a rabbit.

“Calm down, they will not look for revenge in the dorm. They at least have to give me a little bit of face.” Fingel jumped down to open the door.

Professor Guderian, beaming, walked in and the first thing he did was slap Lu Mingfei vigorously on the shoulder. “Boy, I’m proud of you! In one day, your name has spread all over the campus!”

“If you go blow up the Pentagon and your name will also spread all over America in a day… “

“Why you come here so late?” Fingel asked.

Professor Guderian handed an envelope to Lu Mingfei. “I am sending you the student id card. With this, you can enjoy the ‘S’ level privilege in the whole school. Also, tomorrow is the day of the 3E exam, are you ready?

“3E?” Lu Mingfei was dumbstruck, “What is the 3E exam?”

“Quizzes, which may be a trouble for others. It’s just a breeze for S-level.”

“What? Is it a standardized test? Only multiple choice and true or false?”

“Just the dragon’s language.” Professor Guderian said easily.

Lu Mingfei could not catch up with him. “You said a foreign language can be exempted! What language? Do dragons write? How the hell could there be such a thing?”

“Dragon’s language is not a foreign language… It’s one of your native languages.” Professor Guderian said, “Don’t worry, there’s no need to learn it. You are an ‘S’ level with amazing purity of the dragon lineage. Once you see the language, you can understand it naturally.”

Professor Guderian put his hands on Lu Mingfei’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “Be focus, Mingfei, and hear my words!”

Professor Guderian’s mouth burst into a string of retroflex sounds Lu Mingfei had never heard before. It was an unimaginable way of pronouncing it. A voice that was thick, hoarse and regal, like the ringing of a church bell.

Lu Mingfei was stunned and stared at the ceiling with a sad look on his face.

“Praise the awakening of my king, for destruction is new life.” Professor Guderian explained, “Mingfei, do you feel the voice of the ancient dragon emperor? I can tell that from your facial expression, you understood!”

He turned to Fingel. “Look, this is the level of ‘S’. When you were an ‘A’ student, you didn’t have the same sensitivity to the dragon’s language.”

“Now,” said Fingel, shaking his hand in front of Lu Mingfei’s glassy eyes. “Is there any dragon writing emerging in your mind? It seems like he’s having the ‘Spiritual vision’.”

“You must be mistaken… I really try to understand, but still do not understand!” Lu Mingfei cried, “Are you sure you’re getting the right person? I’m not the only one who’s name Lu Mingfei in China.”

“You…… Don’t you understand?” Professor Guderian was shocked. “Then why are you looking so sad?”

“I don’t understand, because don’t understand means I can’t pass the exam.”

“What?…… Won’t you? You don’t have an illusion at all? There is no such thing as… The feeling of being called by a great creature?” Professor Guderian was horrified.

“I thought you were singing…” Said Lu Mingfei cautiously.

Professor Guderian, after freaking out for a moment, suddenly regained the scholar’s composure. He grabbed Lu Mingfei’s shoulder and said firmly, “The first case! This is the first case! Interesting! Very interesting!”

“What first?” Fingel asked.

“The first dragon descendant who did not answer the call of the dragon emperor!” Professor Guderian looked at Lu Mingfei, as an appreciation of a precious specimen, “You are a mutation!”

“And you are a neuropath.” Said Lu Mingfei.

“Listen to me, the reverence for the dragon is rooted in the blood of the dragon race. Any dragon generations will have a reaction to this “Speaking Spirit – The Emperor”. But you have a genetic mutation, so you’re not sensitive to it. You are unique!” The old guy was thrilled. “Is that why you were ranked as an ‘S’?”

“Wait! Another possibility is that I’m just a normal person, right?” Lu Mingfei said, “Is that a much more plausible explanation?”

“Impossible! The principal can’t go wrong with the pedigree rating.” Professor Guderian yelled. “You must be unusual!” But he changed to a depressed face, “But what about tomorrow’s 3E exam? Who but I can believe that you are a mutation?”

“I do!” Fingel raised his hand. “He’s such a mutant from his appearance!”

“It’s really hard to do… It can affect my professor assess.” Professor Guderian scratched his head.

“Professor assess? What’s will that influence?” Lu Mingfei was puzzled.

“Well, I haven’t judge on the tenured professor here,” the old guy blushed, “I’ve been in school for more than ten years, but I’m still an assistant professor…… The principal took care of me and assigned you to me, said you are an unprecedented ‘S’ level students with unparalleled potential. The process of developing you into an outstanding student is so easy like the New York Yankees win the championship next year. Then I can become a tenured professor.”

“What a mess. Didn’t you say you were a professor at Harvard?”

“Yes, but a tenured professor at Harvard has to succeed in producing a student to transfer to a tenured professor at Cassel.”

“That is to say… I am such an ‘S’ student, but my tutor is an assistant professor without any teaching experience?”

“You can’t say that. I transferred to Cassel College and had a student named Fingel before…” The old guy patted the man standing there with “none of my business” written all over his face.

“Oh… Is that why I was put in the same dorm as this weird Fingel?” Lu Mingfei suddenly understood.

“I understand you, you feel hopeless… But let’s face it,” Fingel sighed. “You are indeed teaching by the worst professor, having a grade 8 senior brother, killing by the whole campus’ male students, and there’s another sad news I have to tell you.”

“What? Come on!” Lu Mingfei said, “Can it get worse? I don’t believe it!”

“You kept talking about Nuo Nuo or Chen Motong,” Fingel said, drawing close to Lu Mingfei’s ear. “She’s Caesar’s girlfriend!”

 “I believe now…” Said Lu Mingfei. He felt a slight twitch in the bottom of his heart, and he felt suddenly empty.

1. Kui Men: A door called “Kui”, same as the “Kui Dragon”, it’s just a kind of dragon called “Kui” in ancient China.