dmims Chapter 168 A leader should act like a leader.
Chapter 168 A leader should act like a leader.
What is a destined wife?
Lu Mingfei repeated this sentence.
He didn't even need to turn his head.
He could recognize it just by hearing that voice, that inhumanly pleasant yet cunning tone.
It is Lu Mingze.
"Who arranged this? A childhood betrothal?"
The question slipped out of his mouth, tinged with doubt and accusation.
He turned around and, sure enough, saw the familiar little devil's figure, which had silently appeared at the boundary of the room's shadows.
Lu Mingze was still wearing that exquisitely tailored suit, almost deliberately so, with every button gleaming with a cold light and his bow tie perfectly tied.
He wore that ambiguous, half-smiling expression that Lu Mingfei was tired of seeing, as if he couldn't live a day without maintaining that perfect demeanor.
He's the kind of person who'd die if he didn't show off. Although Lu Mingfei really dislikes his attitude, he can't imitate him at all.
You could say that this is a kind of talent.
"Are you done?"
Lu Mingfei said irritably, "Why haven't you shown up for so long? And the first thing you do when you do is... get me a wife?"
He said the last two words with unusual awkwardness, as if they were burning his tongue.
Lu Mingze tilted his head slightly, his movements as elegant as a classical doll.
He repeated, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable air: "I mean, she was originally the wife I arranged for you."
"Good guy,"
Lu Mingfei almost laughed in anger, "When did you arrange a marriage for me? How come I didn't know I had this 'marriage'?"
He subconsciously raised his hand and made a "go away" gesture, his face showing undisguised disgust.
This disdain wasn't directed at the girl named Erii.
Even though the girl can't speak, she is indeed very pretty, isn't she?
They are quiet and well-behaved.
What he disliked was the guy in front of him, his way of doing things—arranging important parts of his life without explanation, as if arranging pieces on a chessboard.
What era are we living in that people still practice arranged marriages? This guy is a complete feudal remnant.
Decades ago, Lu Ming would have personally escorted him through the streets.
“I know enough girls already,” Lu Mingfei sighed, rubbing his temples. “Can you please stop stirring up so many romances for me? One after another, they’re turning my life into a mess.”
"She's no ordinary girl!"
Lu Mingze's smile deepened, carrying a bottomless, unsettling sense of mystery. His golden pupils narrowed slightly, like a feline staring at its prey.
"Brother, if you don't want her..."
His voice suddenly lowered, slipping into Lu Mingfei's eardrums like the flick of a viper's tongue, "...The result might not be good."
These words, like a block of ice, struck Lu Mingfei's heart unexpectedly, sending a chill down his spine.
It's so annoying to hear people speaking in riddles again. I hate people who only say half of what they mean.
Look at Steve Jobs, he released a phone every year and a half, always keeping people in suspense, and in the end...
He died.
But Lu Mingze didn't give him a chance to ask further questions.
Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, about to ask what was wrong and how it was wrong.
was interrupted.
"alright,"
The little devil's mysterious smile vanished instantly, replaced by his standard, aloof elegance. He stepped forward and gently patted Lu Mingfei's shoulder.
The movement seemed casual, but Lu Mingfei felt as if a thousand pounds of weight had pressed down on him, only to disappear in an instant.
“That’s all I have to say,” Lu Mingze said. “You can think about the rest later.”
His gaze lingered on Lu Mingfei for a moment, and a complex emotion seemed to flash across his eyes, which always seemed to hold a deep abyss.
It was like admiration, like evaluation, and also carried a hint of...worry?
"very nice,"
He said softly, as if talking to himself, "I've gotten a lot stronger again."
Then, he sighed very softly, almost imperceptibly, a sigh that carried a weight that Lu Mingfei could not comprehend.
"...but it's still not enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Mingze's figure began to fade, as if melting into the light or sinking into unseen deep water.
He did not disappear dramatically as usual, but retreated slowly, almost wearily, until he was completely hidden from the air.
The room fell silent.
Lu Mingfei was left standing there alone, the feeling of that light pat still lingering on his shoulder, the words "not good" and "not enough" echoing in his ears, along with the overwhelming amount of information conveyed by the phrases "destined wife" and so on.
He remained motionless for a long time, his brows furrowed, his mind a jumbled mess, finally managing to utter only a silent complaint:
My CPU seems to be fried...
Completely confused, and with a strange heaviness in my heart.
This guy suddenly appeared just to tell me all this?
baffling!
Lu Mingfei scratched his head violently, making a mess of the hair on the back of his head, trying to shake the image of his "destined wife" and Lu Mingze's rambling appearance out of his mind.
Anyway...
Anyone who catches his eye and has been specifically identified as having a significant identity must be no ordinary person.
Just pay a little more attention; there's no use racking your brains now.
He comforted himself with this thought, forcibly drawing his attention back to the reality before him.
"alright,"
He clapped his hands, raised his voice, and drew everyone's attention back to him. "Let's not worry about the fate of the Snake Clan for now. Even if they are the offspring of the Black King himself, it's none of our business. What's important now is to figure out how to solve this case!"
Time seemed to start flowing again after he said that, and the stagnant atmosphere in the room eased a little.
Lu Mingfei looked around, a familiar expression on his face, tinged with a mix of pleading and deceit, as he addressed his few remaining teammates:
"Brothers, let's brainstorm! It's so hard for me to get anything done without my external brain!"
He was referring to Chu Zihang, and he did feel a little regretful for leaving this only calm and reliable analytical player alone elsewhere.
Moreover, Zero wasn't very cooperative.
Without Senior Brother Chu's expressionless yet insightful face, Lu Mingfei felt as if he had lost his backbone.
Just as Lu Mingfei began scratching his head again, as was his habit, preparing to grit his teeth and sort out his thoughts on his own.
Jingle Bell.
A clear satellite phone ringtone sounded.
It's Xia Mi.
She casually pulled a small black device from her pocket, the same model as the one Lu Ming used frequently.
She glanced at the screen, her expression unchanged, walked to the window, and pressed the answer button.
"Ok?"
She responded softly, her gaze fixed on the bustling yet indifferent night view of Tokyo outside the window.
"Oh? Is that so..."
She listened quietly to what the person on the other end of the phone seemed to be saying, occasionally making a nasal sound to indicate that she understood.
"Okay, no problem. Leave the rest to us."
The call was brief.
She hung up the phone, turned around, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face as she winked at Lu Mingfei.
That mysterious smile again!
Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat.
What's going on today?
Is Lu Mingze like this, and Xia Mi is like this too?
Why does everyone like to give me that "I know some good things you don't know" smile?
It gives people the creeps.
“Tonight,” Xia Mi walked over, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, her voice clear, “a batch of ‘special’ goods will arrive at Tokyo Port. The origin is… China.”
what?
Lu Mingfei was taken aback at first, then his mind started working quickly.
Goods from China...
port……
Xia Mi's smile...
He glanced sharply at the satellite phone in Xia Mi's hand, then at her face, which had a look that said, "Look at me like I'm an idiot."
"You... contacted your 'hometown'?"
He asked tentatively, referring to their domestic power or organizations.
"nonsense!"
Xia Mi rolled her eyes at him without any politeness, her disdain almost overflowing.
"Otherwise, what channels do you think we entered the country through? Do you think this safe house, and the decent equipment we have, just appeared out of thin air?"
She crossed her arms and lectured him in a tone of "disappointment and frustration":
"I've never seen a team leader as incompetent as you before! Backed by the power of a great nation, you actually think you can investigate all by yourself, or at most with a few people? How long will it take you to find out?"
She stretched out a finger, almost poking Lu Mingfei's nose:
"I only know that you have more than a hundred active team members, but do you know how many external personnel and associates are involved in coordinating information, providing support, handling logistics, and clearing obstacles in all walks of life and fields to ensure that these people can work smoothly? It's a network that is larger than you can imagine!"
She concluded with a single, crisp word:
"fool!"