They all climbed the suspended staircase in the living room. Upstairs was a miniature lounge with a small round wooden table in the middle, seating about seven or eight.
Su Enxi went straight to the bar at the back of the lounge and slid aside a panel, revealing a wine cabinet built into the wall. It was filled with a dazzling array of bottles: Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton, Haut-Brion-all five of Bordeaux's great estates were represented.
But Su Enxi only picked out a bottle of champagne, brought everyone a glass, and poured for them one by one.
The lounge also had a chandelier, its warm yellow light falling over everyone.
"Are you hungry? There's a kitchen downstairs, though I don't know if there are any ingredients in the fridge." After sitting down, Su Enxi sank into the soft sofa and sprawled out, looking every inch the slovenly shut-in. "A complete set of Gaggenau kitchen appliances. Cost two million, and I haven't even used them yet."
"Let's talk business first." Lu Mingfei took just one sip of champagne before setting it on the table.
"You're the boss. Your call." Su Enxi spread her hands.
"Are you a Hybrid organization too?" Lu Mingfei began.
"I suppose so, though we only have four core members, including the boss," Su Enxi answered.
"What are you and Lu Mingze trying to accomplish?"
"Love and peace."
"Why are you watching me? Why do you know what makes me different? Do you know who I am?"
"Wait, wait." Su Enxi raised a hand to stop him. "You're not going to ask anything else about that last answer?"
"Love and peace. My English is decent," Lu Mingfei said evenly. "I know that isn't your real objective. If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
"All right." Su Enxi looked a little deflated. She hadn't expected Lu Mingfei to be so serious and sincere. "Then I'll be honest too. Our objectives are actually very simple. Zero wants to repay a debt, I work for the boss, and this one is his ninja."
She pointed at Shudey May.
Shudey May hadn't said a word since the beginning. She sat with her legs crossed, lightly holding her glass and slowly swirling it, watching the wine flow inside. Slender, long calves emerged from beneath her silk nightdress, swaying gently in rhythm with the glass. The hem fluttered softly, as though brushed by a breeze.
She seemed to have been waiting for Lu Mingfei to look at her, but he sat upright on the sofa, his gaze unwavering, like a solid block of wood.
Now, meeting his eyes, she smiled sweetly. "I was joking earlier about the assistants sharing your bed." Then she cupped a hand beside her mouth like a microphone, leaned forward slightly, and added airily, "Actually, the only one offering that service is me, your ninja."
It was a very girlish gesture, yet when she did it, it carried a hint of bewitching allure.
"I don't need anyone to share my bed," Lu Mingfei replied without a change in expression.
Beside him, Su Enxi suddenly snorted with laughter.
Shudey May didn't seem to mind. She drained her champagne, adjusted her clothes, and sat up properly, completely shedding her languid demeanor. Her back straightened like a taut string, and her striking figure became clearly defined beneath her nightdress.
This was her usual posture.
Just as Lu Mingfei had judged at first glance, she was either an enforcer or an assassin.
"As for the boss's objective, we employees really don't know. Usually, we just complete whatever tasks he gives us." Su Enxi's lips curved pleasantly, as though she was delighted to see Shudey May rebuffed. Then she continued answering Lu Mingfei's questions. "Sometimes he says he wants to create a new era. Sometimes he says he wants to destroy the world."
Chapter 72: Trust
"That doesn't sound contradictory. If you want to replace the old era with a new Order... a new era, the first step has to be destroying the existing order, gathering an army, recruiting talent, and attacking at the right moment," Lu Mingfei said. "In other words, the strategy Mr. Fenglin offered Zhu Yuanzhang: build high walls, stockpile grain, and delay proclaiming yourself king."
"Don't make us sound like regional warlords. We're all delicate, beautiful young girls." Su Enxi took a guilty sip of champagne. "We just do a little dirty work for the boss now and then."
"But you're Hybrids." Lu Mingfei remained unmoved. "A Hybrid's power comes from their bloodline and draconic genes. A Word Spirit used by a frail young girl is just as lethal as one used by a grown man. The only difference is bloodline rank."
No wonder seduction doesn't work at all, Su Enxi thought. When Long-Legged Girl swings her legs, do you see Chu Zihang holding King's Flame ready, or Caesar activating Kamaitachi?
"Anyway, it's not as exaggerated as you make it sound. If we're talking about warlords on the hidden side of the world, your school's Board of Trustees is the one that's only a coronation away," Su Enxi said. "At most, we're a little band of hilltop bandits."
Lu Mingfei nodded, committing Su Enxi's assessment of the Secret Party's families to memory.
"Then the next question. I already asked it."
"We really don't know that one." Su Enxi shrugged. "Every time the boss appears, he brings a task and rarely explains anything. Especially when it comes to you. He only mentioned you once when he was in a good mood, saying you would definitely encounter that throne... which tells us nothing. A throne could be a place, an object, an enemy, or even just an actual Iron Throne like the one in A Song of Ice and Fire."
Lu Mingfei hadn't expected to pry much out of Lu Mingze's subordinates in the first place. Su Enxi's candor tonight had already exceeded his expectations.
"Then my next question: how much intelligence do you have on the current Hybrid factions and dragons?"
Su Enxi raised an eyebrow. She really hadn't expected every question Lu Mingfei asked to be on such a grand scale.
Was this really the brat who, just a year ago, had a crush on an artsy girl and didn't dare confess? Even if that avenger Angers had brainwashed him, surely his perspective on the dragon-slaying battlefield couldn't have risen this high all at once? Normally, shouldn't he go through an adolescent delusions phase like Chu Zihang or Caesar first?
The questions Su Enxi had prepared to answer were mostly about how much the furniture cost, what assets the organization owned, or perhaps the measurements and hobbies of the three delicate little assistants.
"That depends on which aspect you want to ask about," Su Enxi said carefully.
"Then take your time and explain." Lu Mingfei gave her an encouraging look.
Su Enxi nearly spat out her champagne. Lu Mingfei looked just like a gently coaxing psychiatrist-or an interrogator.
"All right." Su Enxi sat up. "Looks like we'll be talking all night."
Zero suddenly stood up from the sofa in the corner, then belatedly realized everyone was looking at her. She explained calmly, "I'll go make something to eat."
"What a thoughtful little sweetheart." Su Enxi gave her a thumbs-up.
After Zero left, the conversation continued.
"Let's start with Hybrids, beginning with their origins," Su Enxi said.
"I know a little about that. Bloody intermarriage between humans and dragons, followed by generations of diluted bloodlines until they stabilized."
Su Enxi looked surprised. "Cassell College even teaches that?"
"It's recorded in some highly classified materials in the library," Lu Mingfei answered.
"All right." Su Enxi rubbed her chin. "Angers really gives you broad access. Then let's get straight to the point. Is Cassell College the only Hybrid faction you've encountered so far?"
Lu Mingfei nodded.
"That school is actually just a small fraction of all Hybrids. Through marriage, draconic bloodlines have spread to every corner of the world. Hybrids are scattered across different regions, and only a tiny portion are selected to join Cassell College. The others have their own ways of life, but their bloodlines inevitably draw them toward one another, forming a hidden society within human society."
"Cassell College grew out of the Secret Party, whose mission is to exterminate all pureblood dragons. But not every Hybrid shares that ideal. Far more remain outside this war. They despise dragons, but they don't consider themselves on humanity's side either. They believe their bloodlines are superior to humans', making them a 'third species' between humans and dragons. Some of their families have existed for over a thousand years, accumulating astonishing wealth and influence. Certain families have formed loose alliances whose strength rivals the Secret Party's."
"Are all Hybrid factions hidden from public view?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"As far as we know, yes," Su Enxi said. "Do you know the biggest difference between humans and dragons?"
Lu Mingfei knew the answer wasn't some vague term like bloodline or strength. After thinking for a moment, he offered his answer. "Social structure?"
"Not entirely. That's the effect, not the cause." Su Enxi finally regained a little of the superiority befitting a shadowy mastermind, but faced with Lu Mingfei sitting upright, leaning slightly forward, and listening so earnestly, she felt rather silly. "It's actually simple: genes."
"The genetic difference between modern humans and Homo sapiens from tens of thousands of years ago is far smaller than we imagine. Human civilization wasn't built on genetic evolution or innate power, but on 'fictional stories.' They're the product of what's called the cognitive revolution. From that point onward, Homo sapiens could use flexible, complex language to describe things that didn't exist in nature, whether it was the Bible, the Dreamtime of Aboriginal Australians, or even nations."
"To this day, human civilization still depends on these 'fictional stories': history, culture, companies, nations, banks, currencies, and so on. These vastly varied 'fictional stories' are essentially humanity's shared imagination. From that imagination, humans created value that transcends material reality."
"Research shows that the largest group in which humans can truly know and trust one another is about 150 people. Once that number is exceeded, most people can no longer genuinely understand every member in depth. Below 150, though, whether it's a community, a company, a social network, or a military unit, simply knowing one another and sharing information allows it to function smoothly through interpersonal relationships, without formal hierarchies, job titles, or rules. That's why a small family business can run well without a board, a CEO, or an accounting department, and why veteran soldiers in some small units wield more authority than noncommissioned officers."
"Today, some concepts have gone far beyond 150 people to become global 'fictional stories.' The most typical is money. Do you know what it relies on?" Su Enxi asked.
Lu Mingfei fell silent for a while, then said slowly, "Credibility?"
"Exactly." Su Enxi snapped her fingers. "Trust is humanity's foundation."
Chapter 73: The Dragon Blood Class
"Money isn't gold or paper. It's trust-the best and most efficient mechanism of mutual trust between humans. Finance is an industry that deals exclusively with money," Su Enxi continued. "What do you think would happen if a godlike species appeared before humanity?"
Lu Mingfei knew the answer had to be related to something that had already happened in reality: Hybrids had independently chosen to conceal the secret of dragons.
"Trust would collapse?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"First, the economy would collapse," Su Enxi said quietly. "The credibility of every government and financial institution would suffer a massive blow, triggering global panic and runaway currency depreciation. Economic turmoil on that scale translates into the collapse of social order, war, and the looting of resources needed for survival. Then new religions and beliefs would arise. A considerable portion of humanity would worship dragons, seeing them as gods and saviors."
"Would it really be that serious?" Lu Mingfei asked doubtfully.
It sounded as though a dragon only had to stand at the United Nations General Assembly's podium and shout a few words for humanity to collapse without a fight.
"These are only projections. The collapse of economic, social, and belief systems would be a long, turbulent process. World War III might break out along the way, sending humanity back to the tribal age. Or human governments might weather the crisis through regulation and intervention, potentially bringing about the first global unification in human history." Su Enxi shrugged. "Either way, the existing order would collapse completely."
"Global unification sounds good." Lu Mingfei tried to imagine it.
Without question, humanity's most powerful weapons-nuclear weapons-could effectively kill dragons and Dragon Kings. If one wasn't enough, they could launch a saturation strike. A hypersonic missile carrying multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads could destroy a human city, and it could just as easily destroy a dragon city.
Yet Su Enxi had a point. War wasn't simply lining up and pouring firepower at each other. Before nuclear weapons wiped out the dragons, they might just as easily fall on humans and Hybrids.
"So Hybrids don't dare gamble?" Lu Mingfei said. "They don't dare gamble on humanity's collective rationality and unity?"
"It's more than that. They treat secrecy as their highest priority," Su Enxi said. "A Hybrid's bloodline advantages don't just manifest in appearance, strength, and Word Spirits, but intelligence too. The gap isn't quite on the level of separate species, but Hybrids have been behind most scientific advances in modern human history. They infiltrate government institutions, invest in research and development, establish monopolistic capital, and control the world's direction to some extent. What modern Hybrid factions do best, though, is manipulate public opinion. Any information that might expose the existence of dragons lands in their hands, ranked by urgency, before it reaches intelligence agencies, human government departments, or newspapers."
Lu Mingfei remembered the post about "golden pupils" he had made online. Cassell College had dealt with it within minutes and sent Ye Sheng and Jude Jiqu to speak with him in person.
Presumably, if he had been an ordinary person, it wouldn't have been an admissions team that came, but brainwashing personnel from the Executive Department.
"But as technology advances, this secret is bound to come out. Higher-resolution satellites, increasing numbers of cameras, and more and more independent content creators will eventually capture concrete evidence." After some thought, Lu Mingfei raised the key issue.
"In fact, there have already been quite a few direct leaks caused by video footage, even with Hybrids hacking into the devices involved to delete locally stored information," Su Enxi said. "For now, they can still keep things under control. As long as most of the genuinely serious leaks are removed, the remaining scraps will naturally be dismissed as urban legends, scripted publicity stunts, or special effects."
"It sounds like Hybrids are guardians of order," Lu Mingfei remarked.
"Not entirely. They inherited draconic greed too. If they do everything in their power to preserve an order, they must be the class that benefits most from it." Su Enxi seemed to have forgotten she was a Hybrid herself as she spoke in an indifferent tone. "They control a substantial share of human society's political and economic resources, and even its military power. They're already rulers in the shadows and beneficiaries of the status quo. If dragons launched an all-out war, Hybrids could absolutely mobilize large quantities of weapons of mass destruction in a very short time. So they don't need to cooperate with humans. They only need to keep the human world from spinning out of control."
"Hybrids are dragons too." Lu Mingfei understood. "Their methods are simply gentler and more sophisticated."
"You could put it that way. The human part of their bloodline ensures they don't see humans as food, and that's about it." Su Enxi didn't deny it. "They don't need to eat people directly, either. Developments in philosophy, social science, economics, and political science let them exploit humanity in a more civilized and respectable way."
Lu Mingfei knew not every Hybrid thought like that. Ye Sheng, Jude Jiqu, Nono, Caesar, Chu Zihang, Angers, and Fingel, for example, didn't seem like such scheming people.
What Su Enxi was really describing was a group-or rather, a class. Hybrids' intellectual and physical advantages meant they could control most of the means of production. The stability of that superior position was determined by genes, making it more entrenched than any capitalist class among ordinary humans. It could even be called the dragon blood class outright.
Then Lu Mingfei immediately understood.
Between this class and the throne of the world in plain sight, there was only one obstacle: dragons.
They slew dragons not for humanity or justice, but to compete with them for an ecological niche.
"I see," Lu Mingfei said. "That is a little troublesome."
"What's troublesome?" Shudey May asked. She had been quietly listening as the chief assistant reported intelligence to the boss. She understood every question and answer along the way, but not this sudden, cryptic remark from Lu Mingfei.
"The Hybrid families." Lu Mingfei enunciated clearly. "I originally thought they were potential allies."
Just then, Zero returned, wearing a slightly oversized apron and looking every bit the little cook.
"Come and eat." She interrupted their conversation.
The dining room was on the first floor. Its oval table, designed from a combination of stone and wood, could seat about eight people, with a candelabrum and decorative ornaments arranged in the center.