Dragon 3: Tide of the Black Moon (1)

There was a terrible breathing sound on the other end of the line, a chilling sound, like broken bellows being forced open. The man's lungs were so full of holes that students at Cassell College described his breathing as "like hearing a dried-up corpse come back to life.

"Wait until I finish this cigarette." Professor Schneider said quietly.

The central control room at Cassell College.

Today the place was cleared and Schneider sat alone in the middle of the hall. He fished out the small metal box from his pocket, and inside was golden-yellow tobacco. For Schneider tobacco equals poison, everyone in the academy knows that because of some strange disease Schneider's respiratory organs are severely depleted, and must rely on booster devices to keep breathing. So he had to haul oxygen tankers everywhere he went. But now Schneider rubbed out a beautiful hand-rolled cigarette, the movement was nimble and smooth, the technique of a genuine old smoker. But he just took a deep puff and coughed violently, as if to cough out his entire lung.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Someone said from behind.

Schneider was stunned: "It's not your turn on duty today, Professor Manstein."

Manstein put a pill box on the table, "If you have to smoke, take this in your mouth, it has a sedative effect, at least you won't cough like this. Can you call that thing you're breathing in a trachea? Even a broken chimney works better than it."

"I had my trachea removed23 and replaced it with a soft plastic tube." Schneider took a pill and took a few sips of oxygen, "but the plastic trachea works pretty well, at least I don't get laryngitis."

"I have read your medical report, you will not die of laryngitis, your cause of death must be lung failure," Manstein said.

Schneider took another drag on his cigarette, this time with a much lighter reaction. He closed his eyes slightly and savored the scent of the tobacco.

"You didn't suddenly come to me at this hour just to bring me medicine, did you?" Schneider said.

Manstein tossed fax on the table, "The school board sent an official document requesting the immediate termination of Operation Dragon Abyss."

"It's not up to the lords of the School Board to take care of the Executive Department," Schneider said, "We're just the ones doing the little things, they'll just take care of the big things."

"But you had the precious heir of the Gattuso family in your dive team, and word got to Rome that Frost went crazy and was ready to kill the headquarters, but he had a heart attack from overexcitement, or he might have torn down your executive department."

"But wasn't that deep submersible donated by the Pompeii family head? It was also replaced with the auspicious painting of Sunrise East God Bless My Son."

"Everyone knows the head of the Gattuso family is an eccentric whose personal opinions have little to do with family opinions. His seat on the school board is fully represented by Frost, and when Frost says no, the Gattuso family is saying no."

"The principal decides to go down the dive list, and Frost should go talk to the principal. After this cigarette, I will start the Dragon Abyss program, and unless the principal orders it to stop, it's useless for Frost to come in person."

"You can't do it," Manstein threw a black card on the table, "with this black card of the Gattuso family I have the same authority as the rector. I can order the forcible termination of the Dragon Abyss program on Norma, and there is nothing you can do without Norma's help."

"I don't see your allegiance to the Gattuso family," Schneider raised an eyebrow, "your perverted father is a favorite of the Gattuso family."

"No allegiance, I'm the head of the disciplinary committee and have the authority to investigate professors. In their eyes, I'm someone worth fighting for, unlike you who is a die-hard follower of the principal. The Dragon Abyss project is indeed bizarre, the 'ss' level mission was decided after only two people, you and the principal, and your haste to send 3 of the best cadets of the bloodline into the deep sea is not in line with your style. I want to hear you explain it to me."

"You are wrong. This decision has nothing to do with me, it was made by the principal alone, and I am only responsible for its implementation." Schneider said, "It was risky, but some risks had to be taken."

Manstein inserted the black card into the slot on the console, and the large screen displayed the Gattuso family crest. "Welcome Professor Manstein, the black card you are holding has passed the system test, you are now logged into the Norma system as the head of the Wind Discipline Committee and the privileged emissary of the Gattuso family, may I help you?" Norma's voice echoed in the central control room.

"I can call off the Dragon Abyss Project immediately or I can be on your side, but you have to give the reason why you are in such a hurry to start the Dragon Abyss Project?"

"Have you seen my face?" Schneider asked.

"Your face?" Manstein froze.

Schneider took off his oxygen mask and moved his face to a place where there was light. Even while smoking he had been inhaling oxygen, and when he removed the oxygen mask he would carefully hide his face in the shadows, so this was the first time Manstein looked at Ned's face. It was a face that horror movie fans would have nightmares watching, the flesh and blood below the eyes completely dried up, leaving only a layer of dry skin against the bone, lips, and nose were atrophied, incisors directly exposed.

"It's ugly, isn't it? I'm only 37 years old this year, but I have the face of a half-century-old dry corpse. Students hear me coughing and think I'm a 50-something-year-old man, but I'm even a little younger than you." Schneider laughed at himself.

Manstein winced slowly: "How did that happen?"