Classmate Lu's Reunion

The sweltering heat of the summer afternoon, laden with the clamor of the city, clung stickily to the windows of the red sports car.

Inside the hermetically sealed cabin, the temperature remained cool and constant, shutting out the cicadas and human noise of the outside world. Luo Qiusheng leaned back into the leather seat, one hand resting on the window frame, his fingertips tapping lightly against the glass as a flicker of nonchalant contemplation hid in the depths of his eyes.

Lu Mingfei's plot was proceeding as it always had, moving steadily along the predetermined tracks of fate.

Before he had left, his aunt's shrill, trivial nagging still echoed faintly in his ears, forcing the embarrassed boy to clutch his spare change and head out to purchase a brand-new toilet seat.

Luo Qiusheng's gaze darkened, his thoughts drifting toward the hidden undercurrents.

Just moments ago, the emergency communication frequency of Kassel College had suddenly lit up, issuing two top-priority mission directives simultaneously—one pointed toward Lu Mingfei, an unalterable arrangement of destiny, and the other directly at Chu Zihang, a routine scheduling by the college for high-risk dragon-related incidents.

His fingertips paused slightly, and a seed of doubt quietly took root in his heart.

The restless energy of Jormungandr's impending awakening already permeated the underground of this city; the revival of the twins of the King of Bronze and Fire would inevitably trigger Eva's crisis alert, making the issuance of dual missions entirely logical.

Yet he alone had received no instructions.

The car's terminal was clean, without a single pop-up window; Eva's mechanical notification sound had never rung out, as if this super AI, which held the world's dragon-slaying data and monitored the movements of every Hybrid, had completely forgotten his special existence.

A flash of profound, shallow coldness swept through Luo Qiusheng's eyes.

He had long known that Eva was never an absolutely neutral, perfect machine.

This super artificial intelligence, which spanned the century-long history of Kassel College, was a product built, modified layer by layer, and firmly controlled by generations of college executives and scholars of the dragon-slaying faction.

To use a tool forged by this group of people—who held the reins of the dragon-slaying order while harboring their own selfish agendas—to pry into the secrets they deliberately concealed was a massive joke in itself.

Perhaps it was deliberate obfuscation, or perhaps it was the special constitution and alien bloodline hidden within him that rendered Eva's monitoring system naturally ineffective against him.

Regardless of the result, it meant that the shadow of Kassel had long since silently enveloped him.

The silence in the cabin lasted for half an hour. Luo Qiusheng, who had intended to close his eyes and rest while waiting for the plot to advance, found his thoughts frequently interrupted by abrupt disturbances outside the window.

The street was a mix of crowds, with all sorts of people hiding within the neon-lit bustle. Several women with garish makeup and revealing clothes approached the car window repeatedly, their fingernails painted a vibrant red, tapping lightly against the glass in a rhythm that was both flirtatious and deliberate.

"Hey there, handsome, all alone? Want a big sister to keep you company?"

The coquettish voice drifted through the window, heavy with intentional seduction.

Luo Qiusheng didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone flat yet carrying an extreme sense of detachment, each word cold: "I prefer men, thank you."

A single simple sentence directly blocked all of the other party's rhetoric.

The woman outside the window stiffened, glared at the car with a look of chagrin, and finally twisted her waist and left, unwilling.

For these gold-digging women who chased money and clung to the powerful, Luo Qiusheng felt nothing but indifferent disdain. These sycophantic shells, forever chasing vanity and fame, were shallow and pathetic; they could not catch his eye.

But before the noise had completely dissipated, several crisp, childish voices took their place.

A few elementary school students passing by on their way home from school were attracted by the cool black sports car. They gathered around the vehicle with curiosity, their small faces full of envy, peering cautiously over the edge of the window with eyes that were clean and pure, devoid of any worldly utilitarianism.

Only then did Luo Qiusheng lift his gaze, his cold brows softening slightly as he decisively pressed the button to lower the window.

A cool breeze surged into the cabin, blowing away the previous restlessness. He had always lacked interest in the pursuit of worldly fame and fortune, yet he held a unique fondness for the pure, vivid vitality of children who had not yet been polished by the world.

"Big brother! Your sports car is so cool!"

"Yeah, yeah! It looks even better than the ones on TV!"

The children chattered in admiration, their eyes sparkling with bright light.

One of the slightly bolder little boys tilted his small face up and asked earnestly, "Big brother, you're so young, where did you get the money to buy a sports car? Did your mom and dad give it to you?"

The child's direct and innocent question was simple, yet it struck straight to the core.

Luo Qiusheng tilted his head slightly, casting a faint glance.

Yet this seemingly casual look caused the chattering children to fall silent instantly.

Those eyes were too profound, as if they contained boundless mountains, rivers, and the passage of time, carrying a trace of pressure that ordinary people could not bear—intangible and formless, yet weighing heavily upon the heart. It was not ferocity, but a sense of detachment that transcended worldly hierarchies and mortal lifespans, causing the children to instinctively feel awe.

The surroundings went quiet in an instant; even the wind seemed to stall for a moment.

A moment later, a gentle smile curled the corners of Luo Qiusheng's lips, retracting all the hidden pressure, his tone light and distant: "Money is merely an external possession; you cannot bring it with you when you are born, nor can you take it with you when you die."

The little boy blinked his ignorant, large eyes and shook his head vigorously: "I don't understand... Teacher says you need money to buy lots of delicious food and fun toys."

Watching the child's pure expression, Luo Qiusheng let out a helpless laugh, the knot in his heart dissipating slightly.

"Silly child, no matter how much gold or money or flashy external things there are, how can they be as precious as the happiness of a carefree childhood?" He raised his hand and gently ruffled the little boy's hair, his tone gentle. "It's getting late. You should all head home together; don't let your parents wait anxiously at home. Be safe on the road."

"Thank you, big brother!"

The children nodded obediently, took a few lingering looks at the sports car, and then, holding hands, skipped away until they disappeared at the end of the street.

Watching the children walk away, the gentleness in Luo Qiusheng's eyes faded completely, replaced once again by a faint, cold chill.

He pushed the door open and stepped out, closing it with a crisp click.

The expensive supercar sat quietly by the roadside, its pitch-black body reflecting the streetscape, carrying an invisible aura of its own. The greeter at the entrance of Sufilade Pizza House locked eyes with him instantly, their expression one of astonishment and sycophancy.

Most guests who arrived in luxury cars were flashy and high-profile, but the youth before them possessed a uniquely refined temperament; despite his simple casual wear, he could not hide the outstanding character he carried. Several staff members hurried forward, wanting to fawningly lead the way and offer flattery, but they were all politely declined by a slight wave of Luo Qiusheng's hand.

He walked with a composed gait, stepping directly into the warmly decorated pizza house.

The cold air from the air conditioning rushed to meet him, mixed with the aroma of cheese and roasted meat, and the familiar clamor and laughter flooded his ears instantly.

Passing through the bustling lobby, stepping closer and closer to his private booth, the perception in Luo Qiusheng's heart became increasingly clear—

He was quietly usurping Chu Zihang's role in the plot.

Chu Zihang of Shilan High School was a legend etched into the memories of every graduating class. With top-tier grades, striking looks, a calm and powerful demeanor, and a disciplined, resilient spirit, he was the school's undisputed genius—a figure looked up to by countless others, known to nearly everyone.

But Luo Qiusheng was different.

He was a stranger who had appeared out of thin air, with no records at Shilan High School, no past history, and no shared campus memories. To this group of high schoolers immersed in their own sense of superiority, he was an entirely unfamiliar intruder.

Lacking the awe-inspiring aura that came naturally to Chu Zihang, he instead possessed a layer of mystery and eeriness that no one could see through.

The laughter, banter, and one-upmanship inside the private room continued, yet no one knew that an anomaly, one far surpassing Chu Zihang and everyone else's understanding, was already standing quietly outside the door.

Luo Qiusheng raised his hand and gently pushed the door open.

As the door creaked, the stagnant, stuffy air inside the room suddenly began to circulate. It was as if a long-sealed clay jar had suddenly been uncorked; the heavy, humid air thick with the scent of food dissipated, and a wisp of the cool evening breeze slipped into the room, brushing across everyone's shoulders.

All the noisy chatter and laughter came to an eerie, stuttering halt at that very moment.