Lu Mingfei was a split second away from a lung-bursting scream when he realized something. Although the heavy cabin door had been flung wide open, the expected roar of a freezing gale never hit him. The air continued to circulate with a gentle, eerie stillness, even as clouds whipped past the opening at terminal velocity.
It was a bizarre, impossible sight—undoubtedly the work of Lu Mingze. Since when could the little devil pull off something this incredible?
"Over here, brother." Lu Mingze sat right on the edge of the open doorway. He even scooted over a bit, patting the narrow space beside him to invite Lu Mingfei to join him.
"You just love this psycho stuff, don't you?" Lu Mingfei grumbled. Despite his words, his body moved on its own. Maybe it was because Lu Mingze looked perfectly safe, or maybe it was that tiny spark of adventurous curiosity buried deep in his soul.
"We're all psychos, brother," Lu Mingze said, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
"Speak for yourself! I'm a normal person! As normal as they come!" Lu Mingfei insisted as he sat down. The doorway wasn't exactly spacious, but since both of them were on the lean side, they fit side-by-side without a problem.
"Would a normal person be on this flight?" Lu Mingze countered. "Don't take everyone else for a fool… Brother, the whole world knows what you're capable of. You're the only one who doesn't."
"That stuff belongs to you!" Lu Mingfei shot back, looking at the boy as if he were about to start something. However, his attention was quickly stolen by the scenery scrolling beneath them. The darkness of the night was pierced by the glittering miracles of human civilization. From this height, the lights formed a vast, glowing web. Every spark was a city, flickering with varying intensity like a sea of fallen stars.
"No, you're wrong. That power is yours, brother. It always has been. You just don't know how to use it yet," Lu Mingze said, shaking his head.
"Even if that's true, you're basically holding my own power hostage to make deals with me? You shady little swindler!" Lu Mingfei reached out and aggressively ruffled Lu Mingze's hair.
"Hey! In this day and age, you have to be a bit of a shark to survive! I don't have a choice!" Lu Mingze struggled against the hand. "Besides, up until now, I've been running this business at a loss! I've given you powers and beautiful women for free, haven't I?"
"When you put it that way… I guess you have. So, what are you planning to give me this time?" Lu Mingfei thought about it and realized the kid actually had a point. He grinned and let go of the boy's head, looking at him with naked expectation.
"If I keep giving handouts, I'm going to go bankrupt, brother. Don't you want to support your little brother's business for once? Don't worry, I'm a firm believer in fair trade. If you deal with me, I guarantee the returns will be beyond your wildest imagination!" Lu Mingze's voice was pure temptation.
"And the price?"
"Just one-fourth of your life. See? I'm not asking for much..." Lu Mingze gave a sheepish smile.
"Not much? You're asking for $1/4$ of my life right out of the gate! You really are a devil from the pits of hell!" Lu Mingfei was speechless. "Who in their right mind would take that deal? What could you even give me?"
"Money, power, status, women, strength… anything. Whatever you want, I can provide. It all just depends on what you desire." As he spoke, Lu Mingze truly seemed to transform into a crossroads demon, using a voice like silk to lure Lu Mingfei into a contract where the currency was his very soul.
"Do I look like an idiot?" Lu Mingfei gave him a look of pure disdain before playing his trump card. "I want to be just like the Boss!"
"That..." Lu Mingze's face flushed red. "I can't do that for one-fourth. That's gonna cost you at least half."
"Psh. So your 'anything' isn't actually that impressive, is it?" Lu Mingfei scoffed.
"Is that my fault?! That man is a complete freak of nature!" Lu Mingze complained. "Besides, look at how much integrity I have. I didn't even try to lie to you! Come on, just give me the quarter. Think of it as helping a brother out."
"That's my life! My life! I don't know how you plan on taking it, but that's not exactly something you just trade away on a whim. Besides, I've seen enough TV to know how this goes. Once you start dealing with a devil, you can't stop!" Lu Mingfei rejected him with righteous indignation.
"..." Lu Mingze went quiet. He hung his head, staring down at the ground below. He looked utterly defeated, like a salesman who had failed to hit his monthly quota.
"Hey, what's with that face?" Lu Mingfei saw the expression and felt a pang of pity. He reached out and started ruffling the kid's hair again. It was strangely therapeutic and addictive, especially seeing the little devil's perfectly styled hair turn into a bird's nest. "Why are you always after my life, anyway?"
"Because even devils have performance reviews. If I don't sign a contract for a long time, I get punished. Eventually, they'll even replace me." Lu Mingze sounded genuinely aggrieved. "You're my first client, brother. If you never trade with me, I'm going to get fired..."
"What kind of hellish job is that? Wait, I guess it literally is a hellish job... Regardless, you should just quit!" Lu Mingfei began to lecture him earnestly. "You're a good-looking kid, you clearly have money—why don't you just travel the world? If that's not your thing, come study at Cassell College. I'm telling you, the Boss and the Principal are tight. Life-saving favors and all that! And I'm tight with the Boss. I'll just ask him to put in a word, and you can come to school with us!"
"Brother..." Lu Mingze remained silent, looking down. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"So? Great idea, right?" Lu Mingfei was quite proud of his quick thinking.
"It is a great idea," Lu Mingze said, looking up with a smile. But the words that followed made Lu Mingfei's blood run cold. "But a devil is trapped in hell, struggling to survive by signing clients. If I get fired... the boss will kill me. I'll be dead as a doornail."
"Are you joking?" Lu Mingfei's eye twitched. He felt like it had to be a joke—what kind of job killed you for being fired? But the way Lu Mingze said it gave him a sinking feeling. It felt true.
"I wish I were. But reality is often disappointing. It's funny, in a tragic sort of way." Lu Mingze lowered his eyes. "Do you... not want me to die, brother?"
"Duh! Who wants someone to die for no reason?" Lu Mingfei snapped. "I mean... you're always trying to take my life, but you haven't succeeded yet. And you've helped me out a lot. Of course I want you to live!"
"Then trade with me."
"Hey! Don't ruin the moment! I was actually feeling touched for a second, don't break the mood!"
"But if we don't trade..." Lu Mingze looked miserable.
"Stop, stop. First of all, the trade is off the table," Lu Mingfei interrupted. He felt like if they kept talking, he might actually give in. For some reason, seeing the little devil look so sad made his heart soften in a dangerous way. He actually had the fleeting thought that maybe a quarter of my life isn't that big of a deal. It was a terrifying impulse. "Look, if you're trapped in hell and your boss is going to kill you for failing, why don't you just kill the boss and escape that shady operation?"
Lu Mingze's miserable expression froze, replaced by total bewilderment.
"Right? It makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" Lu Mingfei gloated, giving himself a mental pat on the back. He really was a strategic genius.
"B-but..." Lu Mingze actually stuttered. "I'm not strong enough to beat the boss. To beat him, I'd need to trade with you..."
"How can that be?! That's so unfair!" Lu Mingfei continued to mess with Lu Mingze's hair. "Listen to me, you're thinking about this all wrong. If your boss wants you to make trades, then he's definitely the one profiting the most. Don't you see? No matter how many trades you make, you'll never be stronger than him. It's a classic corporate scam! As a successor of socialism, I refuse to let this sweatshop boss get away with it! Just tell me where this 'black-hearted coal mine' is. When the Boss is free, I'll beg him to take me there and bust you out!"
"..." Lu Mingze's eye twitched. He felt like the situation was spiraling in a direction he hadn't anticipated at all.
"Don't worry about it. As a champion of justice, I'll take down every shady boss I see. If I can't handle it, I'll bring the Boss!" Lu Mingfei waved his hand dismissively. In his mind, wherever Lu Mingze lived was basically a glorified illegal coal mine based on the working conditions. "The Boss is a great guy. He'll definitely help!"
Lu Mingze: "..."
It's really not a question of whether he's willing to help or not!
"The boss of that 'coal mine' is very powerful," Lu Mingze said.
"It's fine. We have the Principal too. And my senior, Chu Zihang. They're all monsters!"
"That... well..." Lu Mingze was at a loss for words.
How was he even supposed to respond to this?
"Wait... are you just lying to me because you actually just want my soul?" Lu Mingfei asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
"No! Absolutely not!" Lu Mingze shook his head frantically. "Your plan is actually great, brother. It's just not the right time. Aren't you supposed to be on a mission in Japan? I wouldn't want to distract you."
"Yeah, that's fair," Lu Mingfei agreed after a moment of thought.
"Alright. Let's finish the business here first. I know you're looking out for me, and I don't want you to die for my sake either..." Lu Mingze stood up and pulled Lu Mingfei to his feet. He then hopped over to Lu Mingfei's seat, hauled down his suitcase with a huff, and handed it to him. "We've arrived, brother! Time to get off the plane!"
"Arrived? Wait... holy crap, we really are here!" Lu Mingfei looked out the opening and stared in shock. At some point, the sky had turned into solid ground. He hadn't even felt the plane land during their conversation.
"This trip to Japan is going to involve a major battle. If I don't give you something, you'll have a hard time surviving. And if you die, there's no one left to trade with me or save me..." Lu Mingze acted like a fussing mother, straightening Lu Mingfei's clothes. "This is a new ability. It's called: Don't Die."
"Is it... a healer skill?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"Bingo!" Lu Mingze snapped his fingers and winked. "It works on others and yourself. But you have to be looking at the target when you say it. And remember—everything has a price. If you use it too much, you're toast. Okay, off you go!"
With that, Lu Mingze gave Lu Mingfei a firm shove, suitcase and all, right out of the plane.
"Does anyone from Headquarters have a lighter? I need a smoke!"
Before Lu Mingfei could even register his surroundings, he heard a voice calling out.
"Forget the light! Don't you know smoking is bad for you?" he shouted back instinctively.
"While Hybrids have strong constitutions and don't need to worry much about lung cancer, it's still good to be mindful of your health," Zhou Yi's voice chimed in from beside him.
"Exactly, exactly," Lu Mingfei followed up automatically. Then, it clicked. Wait... that's the Boss's voice.
Coming to his senses, he realized he was back in reality. A few meters away, he saw a black Hummer. A snow-white tablecloth had been spread over the hood, with four tulip glasses arranged on top, filled to the brim with champagne. A bouquet of tulips sat next to the glasses, and lime wedges were perched on the rims. Sitting on the front bumper was a handsome man with sharp eyebrows and a righteous aura. Beside him stood a gentle-looking girl and two burly men who practically had "I'm a bad guy" written on their foreheads.
So this was the welcoming committee from the Japan Branch. It was... surprisingly modest, Lu Mingfei thought.
He only thought it, but Caesar, the poster boy for spoiled rich kids, said it out loud: "This is it? I was at least expecting a private VIP tunnel and a stretch limo."
"We are guests. Let's not be difficult," Chu Zihang said.
Gen Uchiha (Yuan Zhisheng): "..."
What is this? Why does it feel like a group of high-level officials visiting a poverty-stricken village?!
He had sat there motionless, hoping to project an aura of intimidation to show these Headquarters specialists that their "superior bloodlines" didn't mean they could run wild here. He wanted them to know that the Japan Branch wasn't a playground for kids. But his entire act had been dismantled instantly. First, they lectured him on the health risks of smoking, and then they complained about the lack of luxury...
Dammit, were these specialists health gurus on a sightseeing tour, or what?
They hadn't even looked him in the eye yet!