Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

"Where did you get this hamburger? The cafeteria isn't open yet, is it?" Lu Mingfei asked, his eyes wide.

Fingel blinked. "A good agent always knows where to find food. By the way, I bought an extra one, but you look so energetic, you probably don't need it."

"I need it!" Lu Mingfei practically lunged forward.

While the two were sharing their hamburgers, Chu Zihang appeared silently beside them.

He wore a simple black trench coat and carried a tactical backpack that looked lightweight but was clearly loaded with a lot of stuff. He was like a drawn sword, sharp yet restrained.

"Good morning," Chu Zihang nodded in greeting.

"Good morning, senior brother," Lu Mingfei replied indistinctly, his mouth full of hamburger.

Fingel gave an exaggerated military salute. "Sir, Fingel von Frings is ready to depart at any time!"

Chu Zihang frowned slightly, not quite used to this exaggerated way of greeting, but he didn't say anything and just stood quietly to the side waiting for the last team member.

Frillie was the last to arrive, wearing a fitted dark blue trench coat, her long silver hair tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head.

"Sorry I'm late," Frilian said, her voice tinged with a hint of languor.

“We’ve only been waiting for five minutes,” Fingel grinned. “Compared to some girls who make me wait two hours while they put on makeup for certain missions, you’re pretty punctual.”

Frillie raised an eyebrow. "Fingal, you've gotten bolder."

Watching the two bicker, Lu Mingfei realized that the composition of the mission team was quite interesting.

Chu Zihang, the ace of the executive department of Kassel College, the elf Frillian, the unreliable but dependable Finger, plus his "S" rank.

What was Principal Angers thinking when assigning tasks?

"The car is here," Chu Zihang interrupted Lu Mingfei's thoughts.

A black SUV slowly pulled up in front of the college gate. The window rolled down, revealing the serious face of the executive department specialist.

"Get in the car, I'll take you to the train station."

The four people squeezed into the car, and the trunk was filled with their luggage.

Caught between Fingel and Frillie, Lu Mingfei could smell the lingering hamburger scent on Fingel and the faint perfume scent on Frillie, a cool floral fragrance, like lilies of the valley in the snow.

The car drove away from the college and through the empty streets in the early morning.

“So, can someone explain why we’re going to the train station first instead of going straight to the airport?” Fingel broke the silence. “And why economy class? I, Fingel von Frings, am a descendant of a great noble family; flying economy class would be beneath my honor.”

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "Where did this German 'military officer' come from?"

"Because this mission requires a low profile," Chu Zihang replied. "Flying directly to the destination would be too conspicuous, so the academy arranged for us to take a train to Chicago first, and then transfer there."

“There’s nothing wrong with economy class,” Frilian said. “Maybe the college thinks you’re not worth the price of a business class ticket.”

Fingel clutched his chest dramatically. "Frilian, you've broken my heart. I thought there was something special between us."

"Shut up, Fingel," Frillian and Chu Zihang said in unison.

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but laugh out loud, but was quickly nudged in the ribs by Fingel with his elbow.

The train station was even more deserted than Lu Mingfei had imagined.

The first train in the early morning had few passengers, so the four of them found a row of seats to sit down.

Finger immediately took the window seat, claiming that he needed to enjoy the view to maintain the sensitive soul of an artist.

Chu Zihang sat by the aisle, his back ramrod straight as if he were attending a military conference.

Frillie took out her tablet and began browsing the files.

After the train started moving, Fingel pulled out a bag of potato chips from somewhere and started munching on them.

Watching him wolf down his food, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you just have a hamburger this morning?"

“That’s just an appetizer,” Fingel said seriously. “The human body needs a continuous supply of energy, especially for someone as muscular as me.”

"A muscle hunger patient?" Frilian replied without looking up.

“Exactly!” Fingel continued chewing, seemingly unconcerned. “Speaking of which, do you know why Chicago has multiple international airports, but we specifically chose to go to the furthest one?”

Chu Zihang looked up. "We chose the remote Chicago International Airport to avoid unnecessary attention."

“Aha!” Fingel snapped his fingers. “So this is our grand executive plan: let us drag our luggage across Chicago and showcase the brilliance of Kassel College’s elite in front of everyone!”

Lu Mingfei suddenly thought of a question, "How do we get to the airport after we arrive in Chicago?"

A moment of silence.

“I guess a taxi?” Fingel said uncertainly.

Frillie sighed. "I booked a car in advance, it should be waiting for us at the train station."

"Long live Frillie!" Fingel cheered. "As expected of you, the flower of the Equipment Department, your consideration is truly thorough!"

The train continued its journey, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from city buildings to open fields.

As Lu Mingfei watched the scenery rushing past, he unconsciously felt sleepy.

He leaned back in his seat, feeling a drowsy sensation, and felt someone gently push his head into a more comfortable position.

"Wake up, Lu Mingfei, we've arrived."

Lu Mingfei suddenly opened his eyes and found that his head was resting on Chu Zihang's shoulder.

He immediately jumped back, his cheeks burning. "I-I'm sorry, senior brother!"

Chu Zihang's expression remained calm. "It's okay, you slept for two hours."

"And he drooled on Chairman Chu's trench coat," Fingel added with a wicked grin.

Lu Mingfei wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground, but Chu Zihang simply stood up, took his backpack from the luggage rack, and said, "We should get off the bus now."

The hustle and bustle of the Chicago train station instantly engulfed the four of them. Train information was being broadcast over the loudspeakers, and the air was thick with the aroma of coffee and fast food.

Frillie walked in front, with the others following closely behind.

“Our car is at Exit 3,” Frillie said, turning around. “A gray minivan, license plate number XXX.”

However, when they arrived at Exit 3, it was empty.

“Uh, where’s your car?” Fingel looked around.

Frillie frowned and took out her phone. "Let me check."

A few minutes later, she hung up the phone, looking slightly embarrassed. "The car broke down, and the driver can't come right away."

"Fantastic!" Fingel exclaimed, spreading his hands dramatically. "Now what do we do? Stand by the roadside and sing to attract taxis?"

Chu Zihang walked to the roadside: "Let's take a taxi."

Soon a yellow taxi stopped in front of them. The driver was a middle-aged man with an Asian face. Seeing that the four of them had luggage, he got out of the car to help them.

Chapter 130 The Driver

"To Chicago International Airport?" the driver asked in heavily accented English.

"Yes, thank you," Chu Zihang nodded.

The driver quickly stuffed the luggage into the trunk, muttering to himself in Chinese, "Four young people going to the airport so early in the morning, they must be international students."

Lu Mingfei's eyes lit up when he heard Chinese. "Master, are you Chinese?"

The driver paused for a moment, then smiled broadly, "Wow, young man, your Chinese is pretty good!"

Then he looked at Lu Mingfei in surprise, "Wait, you're Chinese too?"

“Yes, my name is Lu Mingfei,” Lu Mingfei replied in Chinese, with a sense of warmth like meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

"Oh, that's great!" the driver exclaimed even more enthusiastically. "My surname is Zhang. I've been in the United States for over ten years, and I rarely encounter passengers who speak Chinese, let alone fellow countrymen! Get in the car, get in!"

The four squeezed into the taxi, with Lu Mingfei sitting in the front passenger seat and the other three in the back.

Master Zhang skillfully drove into the Chicago morning traffic and began chatting with Lu Mingfei in Chinese.

"Are you students? Are you going to the airport to go back to your home country?" Mr. Zhang asked.

"Uh, no, we have a school activity," Lu Mingfei answered vaguely, remembering the classified nature of this mission.

Master Zhang nodded knowingly, "I understand, I understand, it's a university activity. Which school are you from?"

“Kassel College.” As Lu Mingfei uttered the name, he saw Chu Zihang frown slightly in the rearview mirror, clearly disapproving of him revealing too much information.

“Kassel? Never heard of it,” Master Zhang pondered. “Is it a private school? You guys are dressed like royalty, especially the young man in the back row wearing a black trench coat. He looks like he comes from a wealthy family.”

Lu Mingfei almost burst out laughing. Chu Zihang did indeed have an innate elite temperament, but when it came to "children from wealthy families," probably no one could compare to Caesar.

"Has Master Zhang been in America for a long time?" Lu Mingfei changed the subject.

"It's been twelve years," Mr. Zhang said with some emotion. "At first, I came here with my fellow villagers to work as a construction worker. Later, I learned to drive, got my license, and started driving a taxi."

"Are your family members also in the United States?"

“My wife and daughter are still in China,” Mr. Zhang said, a hint of longing in his eyes. “My daughter is in junior high school this year and is doing very well. I’m trying to earn more money here so they can have a better life when they come over.”

"Do you miss home?" Lu Mingfei asked softly.

Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Of course I miss her. I video chat with my wife and kids every night, watching my daughter grow up day by day, but I'm not there for her."

He shook his head. "But there's nothing we can do. We have to make a living. You young people now have the opportunity to study abroad, so you should cherish it."

Lu Mingfei nodded, unsure how to respond.

He never imagined that his life as a mixed-race person would be interpreted in this way by an ordinary taxi driver. In Mr. Zhang's eyes, they were just a group of ordinary international students living a glamorous life overseas, not warriors who might face dragons and Deadpool at any time.

"We've arrived at Chicago International Airport," said Mr. Zhang.

Lu Mingfei then noticed that the car had entered the airport area.

Chicago International Airport looks rather understated, even somewhat dated.

Chu Zihang paid the fare and also gave a generous tip.

Mr. Zhang helped them unload their luggage, warmly shook hands with Lu Mingfei to say goodbye, "Young man, ride in my car again sometime! I wish you all the best in your studies!"

"Thank you, Master Zhang. Take care too," Lu Mingfei said sincerely.

Watching the taxi drive away, Fingel whistled, "Wow, Young Master Chu is really generous. That tip is enough for me to have three hamburgers."

Chu Zihang glanced at him and said, "He works very hard."