The Viltrumite Across the Worlds

"Man, you know who I am?"

Lu Mingfei clearly had not expected Jovian to call him by name. He stood there blankly for a moment before apparently thinking of something. A sleazy grin spread across his face as he leaned closer and whispered, "Are you from Cassell College too? Are you one of my upperclassmen? Did a professor send you to find me? I've been behaving myself lately. I haven't done anything, I swear."

"Now they're whispering to each other."

"They're acting awfully mysterious."

"How did Lu Mingfei get acquainted with such a handsome, successful foreign businessman? Did they meet while he was studying overseas?"

"I'm telling you, that suit he's wearing is from an exclusive Italian luxury brand. It was completely handmade to order. Ordinary people could never afford something like that."

Lu Mingfei's former high school classmates watched him whispering with Jovian. Some were angry, some made jokes, some were shocked, and nearly all of them felt at least a little envious.

Zhao Menghua was angry, the random classmates were making jokes, Chen Wenwen was surprised, and everyone shared the envy.

"You certainly have an active imagination. Unfortunately, I'm not one of your upperclassmen."

Jovian smiled at Lu Mingfei, who was practically bowing and scraping before him, then shook his head.

"What?"

Lu Mingfei had not expected Jovian to deny it. After a moment of surprise, he asked, "Then who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that I intend to cooperate with you."

Jovian smiled and shook his head. He did not reveal his identity because his current status was far too prominent. The restaurant might be surrounded within minutes, and that would create unnecessary trouble.

"Cooperate with me?"

Lu Mingfei scratched the back of his head.

"What could someone like you possibly want from someone like me?"

He genuinely could not understand it.

Someone like Jovian should have sought cooperation with a proud lion like Caesar or a calm, expressionless fighter like Chu Zihang. Why would he choose a pathetic loser like Lu Mingfei?

"Don't underestimate yourself. You're the only S-rank student at Cassell College. In terms of rank, you stand above even the famous Chu Zihang, who is only A-rank."

"If I'm going to cooperate with someone, naturally I should choose the highest-ranked person available."

Jovian patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder and smiled.

"Lu Mingfei ranks above Chu Zihang?"

"Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang attend the same college?"

"Am I hearing things? What the fuck?"

The former Shilan High School students stared in astonishment.

They did not know exactly what it meant to be Cassell College's only S-rank student, but they understood that S was higher than A.

Lu Mingfei was S-rank, while Chu Zihang, the legendary figure who had once ruled their school, was only A-rank.

Did that mean Lu Mingfei was somehow more impressive than Chu Zihang?

That was complete bullshit.

"Keep it down."

When Lu Mingfei noticed Jovian's words causing his former classmates to exclaim behind him, he immediately grew uncomfortable. He gave Jovian an awkward grin.

"I also know you were the one who killed the dragon at the Three Gorges."

After giving Lu Mingfei enough praise to let him enjoy himself before his old classmates, Jovian leaned closer and whispered into his ear.

"What?"

Lu Mingfei's foolish grin instantly disappeared.

He froze as fear surged through his heart.

"He found out?"

Lu Mingfei realized that the man before him had discovered his secret.

"After you, Lu Mingfei."

Jovian gestured toward the exit.

Lu Mingfei remained silent. His heart was uneasy, but he still followed Jovian out of the restaurant.

Once outside, Lu Mingfei discovered that a black limousine was already waiting for them.

He recognized Cadillac as an American luxury-car brand, but he had never seen this particular model before.

Its doors were extremely thick, and so were its windows.

The door opened. Surrounded by several fierce-looking bodyguards, Lu Mingfei climbed inside.

"Let's go."

Only after Lu Mingfei entered the car did Jovian turn and smile at Xia Mi and Erii behind him.

The engine roared, and the limousine disappeared down the road.

"That car..."

The Shilan High School graduates watched the limousine leave through the restaurant windows, their faces filled with alarm.

There was nothing unusual about the Cadillac brand itself. The problem was the particular model Jovian had been using.

One knowledgeable student immediately thought of a name.

Cadillac One.

It was also known as the presidential limousine, the vehicle used by the President of the United States.

"Lu Mingfei has connections with major political figures now?"

"That can't be true, can it?"

"Lu the Legend really is incredible."

"Hahaha! I've always said Lu Mingfei was hiding his true abilities. He was never any worse than Chu Zihang."

"Didn't you hear that man? He said Lu Mingfei was ranked even higher than the legendary Chu Zihang."

After the car left, the former classmates began discussing Lu Mingfei as though his life were merely another amusing story to tell after lunch.

"Fuck, Lu Mingfei is just a pathetic loser. What could possibly qualify him to associate with a political heavyweight? He probably hired actors."

Zhao Menghua spoke bitterly.

He had organized this gathering, so he should have been its main attraction. Instead, Lu Mingfei had completely stolen the spotlight, exactly as he had the previous year.

"Exactly."

"We can believe Lu Mingfei might be doing well overseas, but claiming he associates with powerful political figures is ridiculous."

"They don't even belong in the same social class."

"That's right."

One classmate after another agreed with Zhao Menghua.

They could hear the jealousy in his voice, and they knew an actor could never obtain a vehicle like Cadillac One. However, that did not prevent them from supporting Zhao Menghua's story to make him feel better.

"Hahaha..."

Zhao Menghua enjoyed their agreement and visibly became happier.

Bang.

As the group continued chatting, the restaurant door suddenly opened.

A tall, handsome young man with a cold expression entered.

"Where is Lu Mingfei?"

The moment he saw them, the young man skipped every pleasantry and went straight to the question.

"Chu Zihang?"

The extraordinarily handsome newcomer was none other than Chu Zihang, the legendary figure of Shilan High School and the undisputed champion of the school's Most Hated Heartthrob list.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

The boys lowered their heads, painfully aware of their own inadequacy. The girls blushed like ripe apples.

That was one of the strange things about youth. Merely seeing someone attractive could send hormones surging without permission.

"He isn't here?"

After waiting several moments without receiving an answer, Chu Zihang asked again.

"Lu Mingfei left with the foreign man who was just here."

Chen Wenwen was ultimately the one who answered him.

"Chen Wenwen?"

Chu Zihang looked her up and down.

"Yes!"

Chen Wenwen instinctively straightened her posture. Even she did not know why.

"Thank you."

Chu Zihang turned and left the restaurant with effortless composure. He climbed into his Porsche Panamera and sped away.

"Lu Mingfei really is something. Everyone keeps coming here looking for him."

"No kidding."

Lu Mingfei's classmates watched Chu Zihang race away and exclaimed among themselves.

"Fuck..."

Only Zhao Menghua wore a miserable expression. Lu Mingfei had clearly infuriated him beyond measure.

Chen Wenwen remained silent for a long time as she watched Chu Zihang disappear.

She wondered how far the boy who had once followed her everywhere and obeyed her every request had progressed during the past year.

Then came a more complicated feeling.

Chen Wenwen suddenly realized that the errand boy she had once casually ordered around was moving farther and farther beyond her reach. The two of them no longer seemed to belong to the same world.

"Norma, someone picked up Lu Mingfei, and the situation may be serious. I need you to retrieve all surveillance footage from the surrounding area."

Chu Zihang sat inside his car with one hand on the steering wheel. With the other, he opened his smartphone and contacted Cassell College's artificial intelligence.

"Please wait."

A synthetic sound played as Norma immediately began working.

"The footage has been sent to your phone."

A short while later, Chu Zihang received Norma's message.

It contained a video of Lu Mingfei getting into the vehicle with the man who had invited him away.

The angle was remarkably clear, almost as though someone had deliberately recorded the scene and then made certain Chu Zihang would receive it.

Chu Zihang stared at the departing Cadillac One and fell into deep thought.

"Professor, we have a serious problem."

After several moments of silence, Chu Zihang used his phone to call his professor.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Cassell College's Executive Department, an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a doctor's pajamas, was wailing beside von Schneider.

"Lu Mingfei was abducted?"

"And the suspected culprit is the Commander of U.S. Forces Japan? You have to be kidding me!"

"Lu Mingfei is my finest student. Schneider, you have to help me bring him back!"

The old man clung to Schneider's leg and begged through his tears.

"Someone get this idiot out of here."

Schneider's head was already pounding.

Recent mission failures had left him irritated enough, and now this lunatic insisted on creating an even greater spectacle.

"Schneider, remember what I said! You have to bring Lu Mingfei back!"

Even as the white-haired old man was dragged away, he continued shouting at Schneider.

"Whew..."

Once the old man had been thrown out of the Executive Department headquarters, Schneider finally released a slow breath.

"Get Chu Zihang on the line."

Schneider's expression became serious as he gave the order to his subordinates.

At that moment, while his disappearance caused chaos throughout Cassell College and countless professors and students frantically searched for him, Lu Mingfei was celebrating his birthday with Jovian and the others inside a villa.

"Happy birthday, Lu Mingfei."

Jovian cut a slice of cake, placed it in front of Lu Mingfei, and smiled.

"Thank you..."

Lu Mingfei stared at the cake with a bitter feeling in his heart.

He had never imagined that the only person who would remember to celebrate his birthday would be a stranger he had met for the first time that day.

"Now we can discuss our cooperation."

"How does this sound? You and I join forces and eliminate every dragon in this world."

Jovian smiled as he made his proposal.

"Uh..."

"Kill every dragon? I don't have that kind of strength."

Lu Mingfei stopped eating his cake and gave Jovian a miserable look.

"You do. Weren't you the one who killed the King of Bronze and Fire?"

Jovian continued smiling.

"What? This loser killed Constantine?"

Xia Mi, who had been enthusiastically stuffing herself with food, suddenly froze. She examined Lu Mingfei from head to toe in disbelief.

"Uh..."

Lu Mingfei felt uncomfortable beneath Xia Mi's stare, and his face reddened slightly.

"May I ask why you want to kill every dragon?"

Lu Mingfei tried to distract himself by questioning Jovian.

"Because it would be entertaining."

Jovian rubbed his chin and considered the matter briefly before answering.

"What?"

Lu Mingfei stared blankly.

He wanted to kill every dragon simply because it sounded entertaining?

What kind of lunatic was this?

"Am I in danger right now?"

Lu Mingfei began worrying about his personal safety.

Beep, beep, beep.

As Lu Mingfei grew increasingly anxious, his phone suddenly rang.

"Nono..."

Lu Mingfei froze when he saw the name on the screen. He hesitated, uncertain whether he should answer.

"Go ahead."

Jovian smiled and nodded.

"Thanks."

Lu Mingfei accepted the call.

"Lu Mingfei, where are you?"

The instant the call connected, Nono's clear, songbird-like voice came through the phone. This particular songbird was evidently frantic, however, because she was nearly shouting.

"Uh..."

Lu Mingfei moved the phone away from his ear and waited a moment before answering.

"I'm with a friend right now."

He had initially intended to say that he was celebrating his birthday with a friend, but he stopped himself before the final words escaped.

"The college thinks you've disappeared. Every professor and student who wasn't busy has been mobilized, and they're searching for you like lunatics."

"No one can determine your location. Even Norma can't track you. Chu Zihang came to me hoping I could find you."

"I told him we should simply ask where you managed to lose yourself, so I called."

"What?"

Lu Mingfei had not expected the situation to become so serious.

After remaining stunned for a moment, he answered, "I'm fine. Nothing happened to me. I'm completely safe."

"That only makes you sound more suspicious."

Nono frowned.

Lu Mingfei's reassurance made her even more worried. Someone who was genuinely safe would not feel the need to emphasize how safe he was.

The fact that he had done so suggested someone nearby was making him extremely uneasy.

"Your girlfriend? Is she worried about you?"

Jovian looked at Lu Mingfei and deliberately asked a question whose answer he already knew.

"She isn't my girlfriend. She's an upperclassman from college."

Lu Mingfei froze in the middle of the call and hurriedly waved his hands.

"An upperclassman you're in love with?"

Jovian continued questioning him.

"She's already with someone."

Rather than answering whether he liked Nono, Lu Mingfei cleverly avoided the question.

"Since when was I officially with anyone?"

His answer immediately provoked Nono on the other end of the call.

"Huh?"

Lu Mingfei had not expected such a strong reaction.

His eyes brightened. If Nono said that, perhaps he still had a chance.

A moment later, his expression darkened again.

Even if he had an opportunity, how could he possibly compete with Caesar?

Caesar was the heir of an immensely powerful family. He was handsome, wealthy, and incredibly strong.

"She's practically handing you an opportunity. Show some backbone, Lu Mingfei."

Jovian shook his head at the hopeless boy.

"You can hear her?"

Lu Mingfei stared at Jovian in alarm.

"Put me on speaker."

Nono immediately issued the command from the other end of the call.

"Fine..."

Lu Mingfei knew there was no longer any point refusing. Jovian could hear their conversation with ease anyway.

He might as well activate the speaker and gain an ally against the man in front of him.

"Hello, I'm from Cassell..."

Once Lu Mingfei activated the speaker, Nono began introducing herself.

"Nono, Chen Motong, the woman Lu Mingfei secretly loves, and the fiancée selected by the Gattuso family for Caesar."

Before Nono could finish, Jovian recited her entire identity.

"The Gattuso family chose Nono to be Caesar's fiancée?"

Lu Mingfei stared in shock.

He had never known there was such an arrangement between Chen Motong and Caesar.

Chen Motong was equally surprised that Jovian had investigated her so thoroughly.

The atmosphere fell silent.

"You're shocked that the woman you love is someone else's fiancée?"

"So what? Take her from him if you love her."

"Or, if the situation bothers you that much, kill your goddess's fiancé and marry her openly afterward."

Jovian spoke casually to Lu Mingfei.

"That..."

Lu Mingfei had no idea what to say.

Discussing the murder of a woman's fiancé directly in front of her seemed rather excessive.

"How do you know your goddess loves her fiancé instead of you?" Jovian asked.

"Caesar is powerful, handsome, and the heir to a great family."

Once again, Lu Mingfei did not answer the question. He merely responded in another way.

"Heh. Lu Mingfei, you truly are a master at pretending not to understand."

"No matter how powerful Caesar is, he's still nothing but an insect compared to you."

"Without you, the King of Bronze and Fire would have fully resurrected during the battle at the Three Gorges. Nono, Chu Zihang, Caesar, and every professor from Cassell College would have been reduced to ashes beneath the Dragon King's fury."

"You did so much for them, yet they weren't even willing to thank you."

"They clearly have no respect for you."

"Why not destroy Cassell College and show them who the true king of this world is?"

Jovian sat in his chair and calmly spoke to Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei lowered his head and remained silent.

On the other end of the phone, Chen Motong listened in complete shock.

Only now did she finally learn the identity of the monster who had saved her that day.

"What are you still thinking about? Why are you hesitating?"

"Kill Caesar, destroy the Gattuso family, and keep Chen Motong beside you forever."

Jovian continued tempting Lu Mingfei.

"Enough!"

"I won't do anything! I will never use that power again, and I certainly won't use it against Caesar!"

Lu Mingfei finally exploded, shouting furiously at Jovian.

"Was it really you, Lu Mingfei?"

Chen Motong's disbelieving voice came through the phone.

She had suspected before that Lu Mingfei might have been the person who saved her that day. Even so, having her suspicions confirmed filled her with complicated emotions.

"I'm sorry..."

Lu Mingfei apologized meekly before ending the call.

"Are you angry?"

Jovian sat across from Lu Mingfei and questioned him with obvious interest.

"Stop pushing him. His fragile heart is about to collapse."

As Jovian spoke, the previously silent Lu Mingfei suddenly seemed like a different person.

His entire demeanor became calm and composed.

"You finally decided to come out, Lu Mingze."

Jovian smiled at the suddenly composed Lu Mingfei.

His strategy had worked.

He had finally forced Lu Mingze to reveal himself.

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