Dragons begin with courage

"Forty million..."

Lu Mingfei walked unsteadily along the path at Kassel College as night deepened, feeling the expensive crimson pebbles beneath his feet as soft as cotton. His mind was filled with Chu Zihang's casual remark, "equivalent to $585 million." This number, like a curse, echoed and reverberated in his head, transforming into concrete concepts he could understand—could it buy a neighborhood like his uncle's? Could it fill countless internet cafes? Could it allow Chen Wenwen… no, stop there, he had already arrived in this world; the things of the other world should disappear completely.

He felt lightheaded, as if he had accidentally swallowed a large cloud of hydrogen gas, about to be lifted off the ground at any moment. He had truly become Harry Potter, waking up to find himself a wizard, and having inherited a fortune from Gringotts. However, the key to this fortune seemed a little too hot to handle.

Lost in his fantasy of a "vast fortune," he was completely oblivious to the growing number of stares he was receiving along the way. Students in their well-tailored, varied Kassel uniforms, whether hurrying along or in small groups, all focused their attention on him, whispering amongst themselves.

"Look, it's him!"

"That freshman? He looks... pretty ordinary."

"Normal? Didn't you watch the live stream this afternoon? Senior Susie was kicked three meters away by him! Chairman Caesar was 'sniped' by him with a single shot! And that was head-on!"

"S-rank... The legendary rating, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Look closely, her profile is actually quite delicate..."

Shh, he's looking this way!

Lu Mingfei belatedly sensed that something was amiss. Those gazes held curiosity, scrutiny, astonishment, and even a barely perceptible hint of…fighting intent? He instinctively shrank back, about to quicken his pace to escape the silent onlookers, when suddenly—

hum!

Beside the main road of the campus, the giant LED screen on the exterior of the news department building with its massive glass curtain wall suddenly lit up, illuminating the evening sky. A rousing, battle-like background music boomed, followed by a voice so familiar it sent chills down Lu Mingfei's spine—a voice with an exaggerated, theatrical tone—that it resonated across half the campus through high-fidelity speakers. It was Finger's voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Offspring of dragons and hybrids! Welcome to the exclusive channel of Kassel College—the special bonus edition of 'Midnight Secrets'!" On the screen appeared Fingel's stubble-covered but spirited face, wearing a golden crown (looking like it was smuggled from some film crew) and waving a scroll.

"The long-running battle for the throne of 'One Day of Freedom' has reached an epic turning point today! As the smoke clears, standing atop the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood (Frigga's version) is neither the student council emperor nor the Lionheart Sword!" The screen rapidly switched between exciting (or chaotic) clips of the afternoon's battle, finally settling on a photo of Lu Mingfei's enrollment file—his eyes were vacant, creating a stark contrast with the huge special effects text displayed at the bottom of the screen:

"A new king is crowned! Code name: 'S'—Lu Mingfei!"

Immediately following this was a barrage of Fingal-style "breaking news" headlines, accompanied by dazzling special effects, bombarding the viewer in turn:

"Shocking! A secret treasure from an ancient Eastern country, an S-class bloodline has appeared in the world!" (The background is a blurry dragon silhouette and a picture of the Great Wall).

"Newton and Einstein were born before him. Should he be an early bird or avoid his brilliance?" (Accompanied by oil paintings of the two scientific giants, their faces photoshopped with cold sweat).

"Napoleon Bonaparte was born three hundred years earlier than him. Was he afraid of him, or was it a case of kings not meeting kings?" (Napoleon's portrait has been replaced with Lu Mingfei's face, and he is riding a dragon?).

"Do you know why dragons fly in the sky?! Because they're on the ground!" (A chibi-style giant dragon shivering under a blanket).

"One shot ends Gattuso, a smile faces Chu Zihang. Is it an evenly matched contest? No, it's a dimensional attack!" (A compilation of the moments when Caesar is "shot" and leans back, and Chu Zihang "commits suicide").

Finally, Fingel's face filled the screen again. He spread his arms and roared in a solemn yet comical tone, as if announcing the end of the world: "Ladies and knights of Kassel College—are you ready to welcome your new king?!"

"boom--!"

Lu Mingfei felt as if his brain and cheeks had exploded simultaneously. His blood rushed to his head, his ears were ringing, and the whispers around him seemed amplified tenfold. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole in the ground or leap onto the screen and rip Fingel's smirking face off!

"Finger!!!" A roar filled with shame, anger and despair was choked in his throat. He suddenly lowered his head and ran frantically towards the dormitory area with the speed of dodging bullets in the afternoon, leaving behind what seemed like billowing smoke.

boom!

The dormitory door was slammed open. Lu Mingfei, panting heavily, glared at Fingel, who was sitting in front of the computer with his legs crossed, smugly watching the number of clicks on his "masterpiece" soar.

"Hey! Our King of Kassel is back!" Fingel swiveled in his chair, his face plastered with a fawning (and irritating) smile. "I thought you'd be invited to the Norton House tonight to enjoy the victor's champagne, or... be gently 'interrogated' by some red-haired witch."

"Interrogate you my foot!" Lu Mingfei lunged forward, grabbing Fingel's collar and shaking him violently. "What nonsense are you spouting! What new king! What dimensional reduction attack! Do you want me to be hunted down by the entire school?! That was all luck! It was a sneak attack! Don't you understand?!"

Fingel swayed like a lump of mud, yet still grinned: "Luck is part of ability, Junior Brother Lu. Besides, no matter the process, the result is unique—you're the one who stands at the end. According to the ironclad rule of 'One Day of Freedom,' you're now the 'public enemy' and 'idol' of all the boys in the school... well, at least most of them."

Lu Mingfei stopped what he was doing, panting heavily, a sense of foreboding creeping over him: "Public enemy? Why?"

Fingel counted on his fingers, as if reciting a familiar story: "First, a year's use of Norton Hall, magnificent and complete with its own butler and chef, is the ultimate symbol of social status and power on campus. Second, direct access to next year's 'Academy Star' finals means massive attention..." He blinked, leaned closer, lowered his voice, and uttered the most bombshell:

"Finally, and the oldest, most romantic, and most enviable privilege: the first formal date invitation you extend to any girl in the college within the next year—they cannot refuse, and must maintain a nominal relationship for at least three months."

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat.