Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Back at the hotel, Lu Mingfei unexpectedly received a message from Chu Zihang: "How was your vacation?"

"I was at the film studio with Frillie, and she seemed very interested in television production. What about you?" Lu Mingfei replied.

"At home. My mother cooked a lot of dishes. I'm going to see Xia Mi and her younger brother tomorrow."

Chapter 211 Vice Principal, please do me a favor and get two extras.

The sky was a hazy blue, the mountains still shrouded in the morning mist, but for Frilian, an elf, the concept of time was always somewhat blurred. She sat by the inn's window, engrossed in a thick novel with the four large characters "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" printed on its cover. Sunlight streamed through the glass, dancing on her long silver hair.

Lu Mingfei, with messy hair and yawning, strolled out of the room. Seeing Frilian's appearance, he couldn't help but complain, "Miss Frilian, which ancient book are you engrossed in this time? This book is much younger than you, isn't it?"

Frillie didn't even look up, her slender fingers gently turning a page, her tone calm yet carrying a barely perceptible excitement: "Mingfei, the wars, strategies, and heroes depicted in this book are very interesting. Especially that strategist named Zhuge Liang, his 'Empty City Stratagem' and 'Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats' are brilliant."

Lu Mingfei leaned over for a glance; it was the original Chinese version. He scratched his head: "Oh, the Three Kingdoms. I read the comic books when I was a kid, and now I play the games. It's truly a classic. What, are you interested in visiting that era? It's a pity that time machines haven't been invented yet."

“No,” Frillie raised her head, her emerald green eyes sparkling with an almost naive light that Lu Mingfei rarely saw, “I just saw it yesterday, there’s a film and television project called ‘New Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ that’s being filmed recently, and it’s going to bring the story from this book to a magical screen called television.”

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping over him: "Yes, that's true, it's really going on online. You wouldn't be thinking of..."

Frillie closed the book, her tone earnest: "I want to participate in the filming. I want to experience what it's like to recreate history in this way. It should be more interesting than reading a book. Will you come with me?"

"What?!" Lu Mingfei almost choked on his own saliva. "My dear sister! That's a TV series shoot! A professional production crew! What would we do there? Be extras, playing lowly soldiers under Cao Cao whose faces we can't even see? And why would they want us?"

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Frillie tilted her head, finding Lu Mingfei's reaction amusing: "Because we are students of Kassel College. I remember Vice Principal Flamel saying that the college has many connections in human society, asking him should provide some solutions."

Lu Mingfei sighed, trying to make this elf, who had lived for over a thousand years, understand the complexities of reality: "The vice principal is just bragging without thinking! His connections are mostly used to solve major issues of 'world peace' or to get some rare alchemical materials for the academy! To use them to get us extras in film crews? This is not only using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but more importantly, it's completely out of place! The vice principal will laugh at us to death!"

Frillie picked up the retro-styled phone Flamel had given her privately, and while scrolling through her contacts, she said, "There's no harm in asking. Flamel seems like someone who likes fun things; maybe he'll agree."

Lu Mingfei watched as Frilian started dialing, then collapsed onto the sofa in despair, covering his face with a cushion: "It's over. My reputation is ruined, even though I never really had one."

The phone rang seven or eight times before being answered: "Oh~ my dear Ms. Frilian! What brings you to call this old man on this beautiful morning—no, according to the time difference, it should be evening where you are? Could it be that we've made a new breakthrough regarding the topic of the stability of magic crystals that we discussed last time?"

Frillie cut to the chase: "Vice Principal Flamel, good afternoon. No new breakthrough yet. I called to ask about something else. Do you know about the new *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a hearty laugh: "Hahaha! The new Three Kingdoms? Of course I know it! That historical drama that's been all the rage lately! What, even our knowledgeable Miss Frilline is interested in this kind of popular culture?"

“I’m interested. Lu Mingfei and I would like to participate in the filming and experience it,” Frillie stated her purpose directly.

"Pfft, cough cough!" A distinct coughing sound came from the other end of the line, probably from the vice principal spitting out his wine or something else. "Wait, wait! Frillie, say that again? You and Lu Mingfei want to make a TV series? What are you going to play? Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei?"

Liu Mingfei, Guan Lilian?

Lu Mingfei groaned in pain on the sofa and buried himself even deeper into the cushions.

Frillie didn't see any problem with it at all and answered seriously, "Anything is fine. I just want to play two roles with lines, like a messenger, or a maid and a guest at a banquet. I mainly want to see the filming process."

"Messenger? Maid?" Vice Principal Flamel clicked his tongue. "Let Lu Mingfei, an S-class elite who can dismantle a training ground with one hand, play a messenger? And let you, an elite student, play a maid? My God, if that old man Angers knew this, he would laugh so hard that his dentures would fall into his tea!"

Frillie remained unmoved: "So, does the academy have a solution?"

Flamel clicked his tongue, savoring the absurdity of the idea: "As for a solution, theoretically, Kassel College's influence is everywhere, from Wall Street to Hollywood. There are always a few guys who owe us favors or want to curry favor with us. Getting two people into the crew, even important supporting roles, isn't entirely impossible with a little maneuvering, let alone just two extras."

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but lean closer to the phone and shout, "Vice Principal! Stop fanning the flames! This is too embarrassing!"

"Shameful?" Flamel raised his voice. "Mingfei, your awareness needs improvement! Experiencing life and observing human society is also part of learning! Besides, what if Miss Frilian gets carried away on set and adds a realistic 'meteorite falling from the sky' magic effect to the war scene? How much special effects money would the crew save! Hahaha!"

Frillie considered the suggestion: "If needed, I can control the magic output to simulate a small-scale meteor effect without causing actual damage."

"No! Please don't!" Lu Mingfei and Flamel on the other end of the phone shouted at the same time.

Otherwise, the headline the next day would be: "Meteorite falls from the sky in a certain city, suspected to be an alien landing."

Flamel cleared his throat, adopting a business-like tone: "Alright, Frilian, this matter isn't exactly difficult, but it's not exactly simple either. Using the academy's connections requires favors and resources. I can't just do this for free, can I? After all, this seems entirely to satisfy your personal interests."

Frillie nodded knowingly: "What kind of reward do you need? Gold coins? Or some magical artifacts from my collection?"

“No, no, no, forget about those mundane things,” Flamel said with a smile. “You see, after the holidays, you promised to continue teaching me some things, right? I mean, besides the basic magic theories we agreed on before, could you, um, teach me something else? Like, some interesting magic or alchemical techniques unique to your world? Of course, it won't involve your core secrets, just some fun little tricks, like how to keep wine at its best forever, or how to concoct a candy that makes people tell the truth?”

Frillie pondered for a moment. Flamel did indeed possess unique insights into alchemy, and exchanging ideas with him was valuable in itself. Trading some non-core magical knowledge for an interesting experience seemed like a fair deal to her.

“Sure,” she readily agreed. “I can teach you a variation of the ‘Radiance’ spell that can make objects glow for a long time. There’s also the ‘Cleansing Charm,’ which can instantly remove stains and dust from items; it should be useful for maintaining your collection.”

"Oh! That's fantastic!" Flamel exclaimed enthusiastically. "Persistent glow? Self-cleaning? Absolutely perfect! Deal! Ms. Frilian, just wait for my good news! I'll contact the relevant people right away! I guarantee I'll arrange two 'memorable' minor roles for you!"

Chapter 212 Joining the Group with Capital

After hanging up with Frillie, Vice Principal Flamel swirled his nearly empty glass of wine, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. Instead of dialing some Hollywood mogul directly, he picked up his internal communicator and pressed a speed dial button.

“Norma,” he said to the air, “get me Professor Schneider from the logistics department. Yes, the Schneider who’s in charge of ‘asset operations’ and ‘external relations,’ not the one in the executive department who’s always stern-faced.”

A few seconds later, the call connected, and a calm and efficient male voice rang out: "Vice Principal, what's the matter? If it's about reimbursing the batch of experimental aged whiskey you ordered last week, the invoice hasn't arrived yet."

“Hey, Schneider, don’t be so serious! This is serious business, concerning the college’s image and expanding our cultural influence!” Flamel said without batting an eye.

"Get to the point, Vice Principal. I have a meeting in ten minutes."

"Okay, okay. Do you know the crew of the new 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' that's currently filming in China?"

Professor Schneider paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then searched his memory: "I've heard about it. A large-scale historical drama project, with investors from complex backgrounds who have no direct business dealings with our college. What's wrong?"

“The academy has two outstanding students—Frilian and Lu Mingfei—who have developed a strong academic interest in this project and hope to have the opportunity to go deep into the production crew for, well, an ‘immersive historical and cultural experience,’” Flamel tried to make his statement sound more sophisticated.

Professor Schneider, ever as astute, immediately grasped the crux of the matter: "Speak plainly, Vice Principal. They want to play minor roles, right? And you either encouraged them or agreed to some conditions."

Flamel chuckled: "You know me best. So, can you arrange it? It doesn't need to be too complicated, just two extras with a few lines who can observe the filming process up close. It'll only take a few days."

“Vice Principal,” Schneider’s voice was tinged with helplessness, “our connections and resources aren’t for this kind of thing. The executive officers are dealing with potential threats all over the world, and the equipment department’s research funding is never enough, yet you want to interfere with a commercial film project for the sake of students’ ‘experience in life’?”

“You can’t say that, Schneider,” Flamel said, swirling his glass. “You know Frillian’s background; her interests themselves might have value. Lu Mingfei is also an S-class we’re focusing on. Letting them experience different social environments might yield unexpected results. Besides, this isn’t freeloading; we can bring our own funding to the project.”

"Bring your own funding to the project?" Schneider was taken aback.

"Right, I remember the academy has a small stake in a film and television culture fund in Asia, right? Or, we could provide the production team with an academic grant in the name of the 'Kassel College History and Culture Research Foundation,' specifically for the historical research of costumes and props. The condition would be that we two research assistants be assigned to the production team to learn. That would be respectable, achieve our goal, and also give the academy some exposure. See, it's a win-win situation!"

Professor Schneider sighed on the other end of the phone. This wasn't the first time he'd dealt with such outlandish requests from the vice-chancellor. He quickly weighed the options: using personal connections to exert direct pressure was indeed overkill, but a sponsorship would be much more regulated, and the amount wouldn't be too large, remaining within his authority.

“I need a formal internal application process that explains the necessity of this academic sponsorship and has you sign off on it,” Schneider said businesslike.

“No problem! Leave it to me!” Flamel readily agreed.

“Furthermore,” Schneider added, “only minor, insignificant roles can be assigned, roles that cannot disrupt the normal filming process, must adhere to all crew regulations, and must be accompanied by personnel—actually surveillance personnel—to ensure no leaks or unnecessary attention are aroused. Most importantly, Miss Frilline must absolutely not be allowed to use any supernatural abilities on set!”

"Don't worry, don't worry! I've already talked to Frilian! She's very sensible!" Flamel assured him, patting his chest, though the person on the other end of the phone couldn't hear him.

“Okay, I’ll have my colleague in charge of public affairs for the Asian region contact the production company. I’ll let you know when I have any updates,” Professor Schneider said, hanging up the phone decisively.

Flamel poured himself another glass of wine with a smug grin, humming a little tune. He was already looking forward to the "Light Spell" and "Cleansing Charm" from the Frilline Cult. As for what Lu Mingfei might encounter on set, that was no longer his concern. After all, that kid always managed to surprise people, didn't he?

A few days later, at the film and television base where the crew of "New Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was located.

Executive producer Wang was having a headache over budget overruns for a large-scale war when his secretary knocked on the door and came in, looking puzzled.

“Mr. Wang, a Mr. Li who claims to be the Asian representative of the ‘Kassel College History and Culture Research Foundation’ would like to meet with you, saying that he has the intention to cooperate.”

"Kassel College?" Mr. Wang searched his memory but couldn't recall it. "What's their background? A foreign university foundation? How do they want to collaborate?"

The secretary handed over a simple document: "It's said to be a top-tier private research institution in the United States, very low-profile but with immense resources. Their representative said they greatly appreciate the historical rigor of our series and hope to provide a special sponsorship to enhance the accuracy of the costumes and props."

Mr. Wang frowned. He'd seen plenty of free lunches, but most came with strings attached. "What are their requirements?"

“The request is a bit unusual,” the secretary said, her expression becoming even more peculiar. “They want to arrange for two ‘research assistants’ from the college to join the crew for a short-term internship, mainly to observe and learn the filming process. They hope to have two small roles with a few lines so they can experience it.”

"Bringing your own funding to the production and inserting actors?" President Wang immediately understood. This kind of thing wasn't uncommon in the industry, but usually it was the investor's mistress or someone with connections. Injecting research assistants was a first. "Who are these two research assistants? How's their acting? Don't cause me any trouble."

"The other party provided resumes. One is named Frilian, a folklore expert? The other is named Lu Mingfei, a research assistant in fantasy literature and social behavior?" The secretary read out the titles, which even she found absurd. "Judging from the photos, their physical appearance is outstanding, especially this Miss Frilian, who has a unique temperament, somewhat like an elf? As for acting skills, they didn't mention them, only emphasizing her strong learning ability."

Mr. Wang glanced at the resume, and was momentarily stunned by Frillie's exquisitely beautiful photo. He stroked his chin, weighing his options. An extra sponsorship could alleviate their immediate crisis, and it was only for two minor roles, so the impact wouldn't be significant. Frillie's appearance might even be a highlight, perhaps even playing a background role like an ethereal hermit or an exotic dancer.

"Alright," President Wang finally made the decision. "Anyway, there's a female official in the Shu Kingdom's envoy group who only has one line, and there's a servant at Cao Cao's banquet who's responsible for announcing the dishes, but we haven't cast them yet. Let's give them those roles. Tell them the sponsorship payment will arrive within a week, and that their people should report to the set on time next week, following the director's instructions!"

"Okay, Mr. Wang."

Chapter 213 Liu Bei ambushes Zhuge Liang with 500 axemen

In a convenient hotel near the film and television base, Lu Mingfei and Frilian sat facing each other at a simple table, with excerpts from the script of "The New Romance of the Three Kingdoms" spread out in front of them, still smelling of ink, which had just been hurriedly delivered by a crew member.

The air felt somewhat stagnant.

Lu Mingfei stared at the few lines of text on the script, his eyes wide like saucers, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. He rubbed his eyes, read it again, and then slowly raised his head to look at Frillie across from him. Frillie still had that calm, expressionless expression, but a hint of confusion flickered in her emerald green eyes.

Anyone who came into this situation would be completely bewildered; Lu Mingfei felt like he didn't know much Chinese anymore.

“Um, Frillian,” Lu Mingfei swallowed, his voice dry, “are you sure we didn’t get the wrong script? Or is this some parallel universe’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”

Frillie extended her slender finger, pointed to a passage in the script, and softly read: "Liu Bei [breathless, eyes sharp]: 'Kongming, if my heir is capable, then assist him; if he is incompetent, you may become the ruler of Chengdu yourself. (Inner monologue: Five hundred axemen are ready outside the palace; if this scoundrel dares to harbor even the slightest disloyalty, he will be executed without mercy!)'"

After she finished reading, she looked up at Lu Mingfei and said, "I remember in the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms you read, when Liu Bei entrusted his son to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City, he was sincere and there were no axemen lying in ambush. Is this an artistic embellishment?"

"This isn't artistic embellishment!" Lu Mingfei finally couldn't help but exclaim. "This is downright subversive alteration, a collection of conspiracy theories! Look at the later parts, Zhou Yu wasn't angered to death by Zhuge Liang, but because his achievements threatened the emperor, and he was secretly poisoned by Sun Quan in a power struggle. Cao Cao's defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs wasn't due to the fire attack, but because his generals had already been turned against him by Liu Bei and Sun Quan?! My god, this screenwriter's imagination is bigger than the underground ice cellar of our Kassel College."

Lu Mingfei was frantically flipping through the script: "No wonder the vice principal got it so easily. This production crew isn't filming a serious drama at all; they're filming a Three Kingdoms version of 'Game of Thrones' plus 'Empresses in the Palace'! Are we going to be extras in this kind of show?"

Frillian pondered: "So, this version of the story emphasizes the dark side of human nature and the cruelty of power struggles, rather than the hero's loyalty and wisdom?"

“That’s one way to understand it, but it’s way too dark!” Lu Mingfei slumped in his chair. “It completely deviates from the essence of the original work! Now we’re not here to experience history, but to witness how history has been drastically altered.”

Frillie became interested: "Interesting. The same story framework, different interpretations. This in itself is a phenomenon worth observing. Perhaps it can help us better understand the complex emotions and re-creation of history by humankind."

Looking at Frillie's "I've learned something" expression, Lu Mingfei was speechless: "Big sister, I admire your academic spirit. But the question is, what would our minor roles be like in this kind of script?"

He quickly flipped to the back of the script where their character information was marked. Frillie's character was a "female official of the Shu Kingdom's envoy delegation," and she had a line: "Report—the Wu Marquis's envoy has arrived outside the gate."

Lu Mingfei's character is "Cao Cao's banquet attendant," and his line is: "Prime Minister, the special Jingzhou wine 'Drunken Immortal Drink' has arrived!"

The dialogue seems normal, but considering the overall style of the show, Lu Mingfei always felt that there might be a huge conspiracy hidden behind it, such as whether the wine was poisoned, or whether the envoy was here to feign surrender.

Just as Lu Mingfei was imagining all sorts of conspiracies while looking at the script, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar local number.

"Hello, is this Mr. Lu Mingfei? I'm Xiao Wang, the assistant director of the 'New Romance of the Three Kingdoms' production team," came a young woman's voice on the other end of the phone, speaking very quickly.

"Ah, it's me, it's me, Assistant Wang, hello." Lu Mingfei immediately sat up straight.

"Director Wang has reviewed your materials and is very satisfied with Miss Frillie's appearance. He hopes that if you have some free time now, you can come to the set for a makeup and costume fitting, and also let the director meet you in person and get his impression. I'll send you the address on WeChat."

"Okay, okay, we'll be right there!" Lu Mingfei hung up the phone and said to Frilian, "Frilian, let's go, the director wants to see us. We'll have to put us to the test."

The two arrived at a huge soundstage area within the film and television base, following the address. Inside, people were coming and going, with staff and actors in various period costumes moving about busily. The air was filled with a mixture of smells from paint, dust, and boxed lunches.

In a makeshift shack with a sign that read "Dressing Room," they met Director Wang. Director Wang was a slightly overweight, middle-aged man with a baseball cap and sharp eyes, shouting something into a walkie-talkie. When he saw Frillie and Lu Mingfei, he looked them up and down, his gaze lingering on Frillie for a longer time.