SS-Rank Mission

In the backlit shadows, the young man stepped slowly into the private room.

He held a few crisp hundred-dollar bills between his fingertips, placed them gently into the black leather billfold, his movements relaxed and unhurried, then handed the wallet back to the stunned waiter beside him, his voice clear and indifferent: "Keep the change."

The same words, when spoken by others, would inevitably carry a sense of deliberate ostentation that invited disgust and contempt.

Yet, coming from Luo Qiusheng, it felt nothing but natural and detached.

His expression was calm, his brows and eyes distant, as if the money—hard-earned by ordinary people—was nothing more than insignificant dust.

There was not a hint of arrogance about him; he was as indifferent as a mountain breeze or drifting clouds, yet his presence crushed the entire room, leaving no room for resistance, only an instinctive sense of awe.

The room fell into a dead silence; no one spoke, and no one had even noticed when he had approached the door or pushed it open.

He wore a simple, clean casual suit, a pair of black sunglasses shielding his eyes and hiding all emotion. Only the sharp lines of his lower face were visible—clean lips and a clear, cold jawline. He looked like a traveler who had just returned from a long journey, distant and mysterious.

Lu Mingfei had been feeling uneasy, dealing with the teasing or dismissive gazes of his classmates, his heart filled with inferiority and embarrassment.

The moment Luo Qiusheng pushed the door open, the hair on his arms stood on end, as if he had been locked onto by an invisible threat.

Almost reflexively, he stood up from his seat, his spine stiffening, his expression taut to the breaking point, his eyes filled with panic and vigilance.

In an instant, countless thoughts flooded Lu Mingfei's mind—

Something happened!

Something big must have happened!

Summer vacation was supposed to be a peaceful break, with no dragon-slaying missions, no bizarre spirit visions, and no damn Dragon Tribe monsters.

Yet, right here at his class reunion, this strange, powerful figure with such an eerie aura had appeared. How did he find this place?

Aside from Kassel College and the Dragon Tribe secrets that had entangled his life, he couldn't think of any other reason!

Was the Dragon Tribe about to invade the world? Was there an emergency mission from the college? Or... had some unknown danger set its sights on him?

Amidst his panic and trepidation, Luo Qiusheng had already walked up to him. Behind the sunglasses, his eyes were unreadable, but his tone was calm.

"How much longer until the meal ends? We're going to find Chu Zihang."

"The college has issued an emergency mission. Chu Zihang and I will assist you throughout the process and coordinate with your actions."

He leaned in slightly, whispering two words into Lu Mingfei's ear, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness mixed with a sense of predetermined fate:

"Waiting for you to get to work, Boss."

"Boss?!"

Lu Mingfei's pupils dilated, his mind went blank, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, standing there completely stunned.

He stood stiffly, suspecting he was suffering from severe auditory hallucinations.

What kind of international joke was this?!

He, Lu Mingfei, had lived under others' roofs since he was a child, cowardly, mediocre, and unsuccessful. With average grades, an average appearance, and a messy life, he had always been the most inconspicuous background character in any crowd. When could he ever be addressed as "Boss" by a guy with such a terrifying aura?

Absurd, ridiculous, unbelievable!

After several seconds of dead silence in the room, someone finally broke the tension.

Xu Yanyan, who had been staring at the door in shock, widened his eyes, his voice trembling with disbelief:

"Isn't... isn't this the owner of that Ferrari parked outside?!"

The words were like a thunderclap, instantly waking everyone up.

The classmates, who had been busy showing off and competing, all turned their heads in unison, their gazes fixed on Luo Qiusheng. Shock, envy, curiosity, and awe replaced their previous frivolity and arrogance.

Once outside, Lu Mingfei hurriedly thanked Luo Qiusheng: "Thanks a lot, I didn't expect you to be so loyal."

Regardless of the situation, Lu Mingfei was grateful for Luo Qiusheng's sudden appearance. "I'll pay you back for the bill when we get back."

"Small matter, but you really are the boss today."

Not long ago, when Luo Qiusheng had just walked into the Sufilade Pizza House, a message had popped up on his phone. If it had been his own phone, he might have ignored it, but the message had come from Kassel College.

He opened the email; it was a mission dispatched by the headquarters.

Lu Mingfei followed suit and opened his own email after hearing Luo Qiusheng's words.

"Emergency mission, SS-rank? How is that possible..."

He glanced at the column for the executive agent.

Executive Agent: Lu Mingfei 'S-rank'

Assistance: Chu Zihang 'A-rank', Luo Qiusheng 'A-rank'

At a single glance, Lu Mingfei felt the entire world had become magical.

Even if he was a freshman, he shouldn't be forced to be an executive agent just because he was S-rank, right? Did the college even ask for his opinion!?

Letting a second-year senior like Chu Zihang assist him?

Everyone knew what kind of person the school's only "S-rank," Lu Mingfei, was—a "genius student" struggling on the verge of failing his make-up exams. If it weren't for the Principal's unprincipled protection, he would have been demoted long ago. A loser who would surely panic when it was time to step up, yet act like a "loose cannon" when he shouldn't be in the spotlight? Letting a character like that serve as an agent? To command the elite of the elite, the Lionheart Society President Chu Zihang, who had completed twelve missions without a single failure? How was this any different from letting Kassel's biggest loser, Finger, solve the nuclear crisis in the Sahara Desert? Were they trying to destroy the Earth?

Meanwhile, at Chu Zihang's location.

Chu Zihang's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from his instructor, Schneider.

"I have a mission for you." Instructor Schneider's tone was always imperative, as blunt as a cudgel swung at one's head.

"I'm listening." Chu Zihang quickly wiped the water from his body.

"Emergency mission, rated 'SS'. Retrieve a piece of critical intelligence by 19:00 today. Eva has already emailed you the detailed mission briefing." Schneider paused, lowering his voice. "Exercise some restraint... don't make too much of a scene, avoid casualties as much as possible, and don't act like those lunatics in the Equipment Department..." Faint sounds of explosions drifted through the receiver, and Schneider's voice brimmed with sudden fury. "They're tearing the campus apart!"

"'SS'?" Chu Zihang had no interest in the lunatics from the Equipment Department; what startled him was the mission rating. The highest-ranked mission he had ever participated in was an 'A'.

"You heard me correctly. According to the original plan, you're returning to campus today, right? Eva has booked you, Lu Mingfei, and Luo Qiusheng on flight UA836, flying directly to Chicago tonight."

"Lu Mingfei?" Chu Zihang was taken aback.

As for Luo Qiusheng, he wasn't familiar with him...

Schneider paused. Even someone as rigid, blunt, and cold as him found this arrangement difficult to voice, requiring careful deliberation. "For this operation, the commissioner is 'S'-rank Lu Mingfei. Your job is to assist him; you are to follow his arrangements."

Chu Zihang was momentarily baffled. What was the meaning of this? It was as if an Emperor had summoned his Great General and said, "I intend to send you and the Chief Eunuch Lu to the north to fight the barbarians." The Great General would naturally understand that Eunuch Lu was there as a supervisor to keep an eye on him—the General would do the fighting, while the other took the credit—but he would still have to accept the decree and offer thanks. That was the normal state of affairs. The abnormal state was the Emperor saying, "I bestow armor, a sword, and a steed upon Eunuch Lu, letting him charge at the front while you handle the logistics in the rear..." Was this a plot to get Eunuch Lu killed?

"Understood." Chu Zihang's tone remained indifferent. He was not a man who would argue.