Sufilade Pizza House

The lingering effects of alcohol left Luo Qiusheng's head feeling slightly heavy. Amidst the bustling crowd and hurried footsteps, he found himself momentarily distracted, and in the blink of an eye, he lost sight of Jiu De Mai and Su Enxi, who had been walking beside him.

The terminal was packed with travelers, a sea of shifting figures that caused them to drift apart completely within a few short seconds.

Luo Qiusheng felt no panic. He pulled out his phone, sent a message to the two women to suggest they meet another time, then tucked the device away. He turned and merged into the flow of people, walking with steady, determined strides toward the airport exit.

He had no other destination in mind upon landing; his goal had long been set—that old internet cafe that had defined Lu Mingfei's youth and housed countless mundane days.

A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his eyes softening with familiarity. Lu Mingfei, that guy, is truly like an NPC that resets on a loop. His favorite place to idle away his free time is always this cafe, unwavering and constant. I wonder if I'll run into him there today.

Navigating through the alleys and side streets, avoiding the noisy traffic and crowds, Luo Qiusheng soon found the familiar internet cafe.

The old sign was slightly weathered, and the entrance was as busy as ever, retaining the same down-to-earth, lived-in atmosphere he remembered.

He stepped inside, and the humid air, thick with the distinct scent of tobacco, instant noodles, and air conditioning, washed over him.

Rows of computers were neatly arranged, their screens flickering with light. Countless youths sat hunched over, focused on their games, the rhythmic clatter of keyboards and the clicking of mice rising and falling in a lively, chaotic symphony.

Luo Qiusheng strolled slowly between the rows of seats, his gaze sweeping carefully over every figure, earnestly searching for that familiar, slender frame.

After walking a full circle and scanning every corner, he found no trace of Lu Mingfei.

The boy was not here.

He stopped in the middle of the aisle, instinctively pulling out his phone. As his fingertips glided across the contact list, he paused, a sudden sense of absurdity and loneliness welling up within him.

He had been enrolled at Kassel College for quite some time, mingling with all sorts of people within the school's circles, yet as he scrolled through his entire contact list, the dense, long list contained only one name from start to finish: Hilbert von Ange.

In the vast expanse of Kassel, among the countless peers he fought alongside, the mentors he respected, and the acquaintances he crossed paths with, he hadn't kept a single contact.

He appeared to be at the center of the storm, trapped in a game of fate, but in reality, he was entirely alone.

"Forget it."

Luo Qiusheng shook his head slightly, finding a sense of release.

If fate wills it, they shall meet; he could always add them next time. There was no need to force it.

Besides, showing up unannounced at Lu Mingfei's home would be rather abrupt.

Unable to find the person he sought, he didn't linger in the cafe any longer, turning to walk back out the door.

The afternoon sun was perfect, casting a warm glow over the streets and dispelling the chill of early autumn. The roads were filled with heavy traffic, pedestrians hurried along, and the smoke from street-side stalls drifted into the air—a scene of peaceful, stable, everyday life.

Luo Qiusheng had no intention of hailing a cab. He simply wandered aimlessly along the sidewalk, letting the breeze brush through his hair, quietly savoring this rare moment of ordinary tranquility, far removed from the bloodshed and strife.

Just as he was strolling slowly, his mind drifting and calculating his future cultivation and financial plans, a low, sharp, and explosive roar of an engine suddenly erupted from the street beside him!

A black blur, shrouded in a gust of wind, sped past like an arrow released from a bow. It streaked through the street in an instant, moving with astonishing speed.

As the sports car flashed by, the window was half-lowered, and a cold, upright silhouette flickered past in the light.

It was only a fleeting glimpse, yet Luo Qiusheng's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The casual, relaxed look in his eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a profound intensity.

That incredibly upright, cold, and isolated posture, that familiar silhouette and temperament, those indifferent, detached eyes that seemed untouched by the world...

Even though the car was moving at breakneck speed and vanished in a heartbeat, even though it was just a passing profile, he recognized the person in the driver's seat at a glance: it was Chu Zihang.

He recalled that Lu Mingfei's birthday was July 17th. It seemed something was supposed to happen around these days—what was it exactly?

"Lu Mingfei's birthday is coming up, and Chu Zihang is driving... is it summer break?"

"Could it be Lu Mingfei's first class reunion?"

Luo Qiusheng snapped his fingers, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "If Chu Zihang can join the fun, so can I, even if you're driving a Mercedes S500."

Luo Qiusheng dialed Su Enxi, and she was remarkably efficient; just over ten minutes later, a brand-new Ferrari 458 Italia arrived.

It featured the iconic red paint and the prancing horse emblem, with the center-mounted triple exhaust that had made its debut on this model.

"Mingfei, oh Mingfei, if I show up to pick you up in this car, what will your classmates think of you?"

However, a problem arose: the plot involving Raymond had long since passed, and logically, the South Railway Station shouldn't collapse again. No, wait... it had already collapsed.

The documents the college had requested regarding the King of Earth and Mountains, Jormungandr, were important files. Although he had torn them up, Luo Qiusheng had forged replacements.

Lu Mingze wanted to kill Jormungandr and Fenrir, so Luo Qiusheng hadn't mentioned this to Su Enxi or Jiu De Mai.

"Strange, truly strange."

Luo Qiusheng sat in the driver's seat. He had never been able to afford a sports car in his past life, but now that he was sitting in one, it felt rather underwhelming.

He "started" the car.

The 4.5L naturally aspirated V8 engine let out a high-pitched roar. The 7-speed dual-clutch Getrag transmission engaged with precise, dense gear shifts, delivering power evenly to all four wheels. The wide tires gripped the asphalt like the claws of a wild beast tensing before a pounce.

"According to the secret Shilan School History: Chapter of the God-Man, this person Lu Mingfei spent six years of middle school in embarrassment and cowardice, achieving nothing. According to his cousin Lu Mingze's revelations, the 'God-Man' had a tragic background; his parents abandoned him and hadn't shown their faces in seven or eight years while abroad. He was fostered by his uncle, was a massive glutton, and was essentially a bottomless pit... In the elite-filled Shilan High School, a person like him was nothing more than a weed growing by the roadside, which everyone stepped on, intentionally or otherwise."

At Sufilade Pizza House, Lu Mingfei sat alone in a private booth... holding a toilet seat.

What the hell! Is this the pose for attending a Literature Club dinner? I look like a Western monk who brought a weird weapon to crash the party!

He had been excited at first, but upon entering, he was blocked by a polite waiter who stunned him with a single blow: "Get out! Our restrooms use squat toilets; we aren't buying your toilet seat."

Lu Mingfei knew it looked ridiculous, but he had no choice. His aunt's orders were absolute, and his uncle would be kneeling on a keyboard if he dared to disobey. What right did he, Lu Mingfei, have to defy the imperial decree?

The building materials market was quite a distance from his uncle's house. After calculating the time, he realized he wouldn't have enough left if he went home first, so he had to head straight to the dinner. He had jogged the whole way with the toilet seat around his neck—it felt like he was wearing a breastplate of holy armor—only to find he was the only one who arrived on time.

"Found you." Luo Qiusheng watched from his car nearby as Lu Mingfei entered the Sufilade Pizza House.