Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

A thin young man carrying a plastic bag rushed into the rain.

"Received. Bride No. 2 has finished showering and is drying her hair while waiting for the groom to return," another voice replied, coming from a black van parked next to the capsule hotel. A female observer was peering through a gap between the van window and the curtains, using binoculars to aim at the floor-to-ceiling window across the street, which was lit with warm red lights.

"Bride No. 2 has drunk milk, gone to bed, and the lights have been turned off."

"Received. The broadcast van on the north side of the hotel observed that the bathroom lights were off. Presumably, the groom is sleeping in the bathtub tonight."

Mai Shude stood by the window, her earpiece hanging on her ear, quietly listening to the intermittent voices on the shortwave channel.

She didn't say much, only uttering a brief confirmation when necessary. Most of the time, she just listened quietly, like a spider perched in the center of its web, sensing the slightest tremor from the end of each strand.

The glass window in front of her faced the dazzling night view of Shinjuku, but her gaze did not linger on any of the neon signs. Instead, it pierced through the rain and fell on the window that had just been turned off.

Although this so-called program was a complete scam from beginning to end, every aspect of it operated according to the standards of real television production.

Seven broadcast vehicles were actually dispatched to the front line. Three were distributed in three directions around the love hotel, two were parked near the capsule hotel, one was moored near the convenience store, and the other was used as a mobile unit to patrol the surrounding streets.

Each vehicle is equipped with a five-person team: a team leader to coordinate and direct operations, two cameramen to film and monitor the footage, an audio engineer to listen to every sound in the room, and a technician to maintain the equipment and keep communications running smoothly. Add to that the seventeen experts and eleven assistants lurking in the dispatch center, and including her and Su Enxi herself, there are a total of sixty-five masterminds behind the scenes.

This is the world's largest puppet show.

There were only two small wooden puppets on the stage, Lu Mingfei and Erii.

Sixty-five puppeteers below the stage busily pulled on the strings, adjusted the lights, moved the scenery, drafted lines, and arranged coincidences. The vibration of every string was precisely calculated, and the placement of every line of dialogue was repeatedly considered.

But they can't make it too obvious, because the puppet doesn't know it's just a puppet. If the strings are pulled too tight or too fast, the puppet will realize it's being manipulated, and the whole show will crumble into dust at that moment.

Chapter 764 The Amazing Boss

The task window of the front-line broadcast vehicle has been closed, and all the monitoring screens have gone dark one after another.

The cameramen in the control van took off their headsets, rubbed their ears which were red and sore from being pressed against the headphones, and gulped down their first mouthful of hot water of the night from their thermos cups. But the control center was not infected by this relaxed feeling of finishing work; instead, it was like an engine with the accelerator floored, its revs still soaring higher.

The walls were covered with LCD screens. Some displayed real-time surveillance footage of the streets surrounding the love hotel, others scrolled through weather data and traffic conditions, and still others displayed video call windows with several remote experts. The people in the frames all looked solemn, as if they were at a pre-battle briefing.

In the center of the hall stood a long solid wood table, its surface covered with spread-out maps, printed photos, handwritten notes, and several laptops.

"I need detailed information about the male and female actors. Their education, family background, and romantic history—the more detailed the better. Without this information, it's difficult for me to conduct a psychological analysis," said Ryoji Suzuki, a steady and reliable relationship counselor.

He sat at one end of the long table, with a notebook in front of him that had already been filled with several pages, and a cup of coffee that had gone completely cold to his left.

"The materials have been packaged and sent to your email," Su Enxi said without looking up, her ten fingers continuing to fly across the keyboard in front of her.

She was simultaneously monitoring the information streams on three monitors—the left one showed real-time data from the Tokyo Meteorological Bureau, the right one showed road conditions from the traffic control system, and the middle one showed movement markers for various factions within the Snake Clan. These markers were deduced by her cross-referencing information from police radio frequency monitoring and the underworld's dark web. Each flashing red dot could represent a black sedan searching the entire city for Erii.

"The rain is too heavy. If the city floods tomorrow, they won't be able to leave their homes at all. Go check the latest forecast on the weather bureau's website!" Shunji Kumagai, a fashion stylist with short silver-gray hair, slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

“We’re already checking!” A tech assistant wearing a headset in the corner raised his hand in response. “The weather bureau just updated the forecast. The heavy rain is expected to weaken into light rain around 5 a.m. tomorrow, and may stop around 10 a.m. However, some low-lying sections of Shinjuku Ward have already accumulated about 15 centimeters of water. It’s best to avoid Kabukicho 2-chome and 3-chome when making travel plans.”

“Two taxis need to be on standby outside the love hotel, 24 hours a day. In this kind of weather, it’s impossible to hail a taxi, and if they can’t get one, they’ll give up on going out,” said Sanjianwei.

“They’re already waiting in the parking lot,” another assistant said, raising his hand.

"The makeup photos! The bride's makeup photos! Hurry up! I'm stuck on the makeup photos and can't do any more styling!" Shunji Kumagai shouted again, his voice starting to crackle.

"Received!" The image processing technician sprang up from his workstation, holding a photo that had just slid out of the printer. The photo showed Erii wearing her light blue rabbit pajamas after taking a bath. Warm red light shone on her fair face, and her red eyes looked quietly toward the camera, with water droplets still clinging to the ends of her hair.

The photographer captured the perfect moment; the girl in the photo looks both innocent and alluring, like a mermaid who has just emerged from the deep sea, unaware of the hunters lurking on land.

In a corner, a cameraman was filming behind-the-scenes footage of the expert team. The camera panned from the profile of Shunji Kumagai, who was frowning as he picked out clothes, to Ryoji Suzuki, whose pen was writing furiously in his notebook, then to Yui Mima, whose slender back was pacing back and forth with a phone between her legs, and finally landed on Kenji Takemiya.

He leaned back on the sofa, twirling a pen idly in his fingers, the only person in the entire hall who didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

Mai Shude stood at the front of the hall, leaning against the wall covered with monitors. She had an earphone in her left ear, leaving her right ear free to listen to the sounds of the hall. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her fingertips tapped lightly on her opposite elbow.

All of this gave her a strange illusion. It was as if she really was a director, overseeing an unprecedented reality show, and this hall was her control center.

Everyone worked together for a program filled with love and happiness.

When the bride and groom, dressed in traditional Chinese wedding attire, step into Meiji Shrine, everyone present will feel that all their hard work has been worthwhile. They will shed tears of emotion, hold hands and embrace each other, and sincerely wish the newlyweds a long and happy life together.

What a heartwarming, healing, and fulfilling case.

It's nothing more than some crazy boss coming up with a new trick to torment people.

Mai Shude has worked for her boss for many years, carrying out countless bizarre orders.

From assassination to infiltration, from intelligence gathering to financial sniping, his resume is filled with dazzling chapters that could inspire Hollywood screenwriters.

However, forcibly bringing together two completely incompatible young people, and pouring in a team of 65 people, seven broadcast vans, and a budget of hundreds of millions, just to fabricate a fake "Tokyo Love Story," this task undoubtedly topped the list of absurdities in her career.

"The Tokyo Skytree suddenly turned on its lights during a torrential downpour. Was that your doing?" Su Enxi asked as she leaned closer.

"Hmm," Mai Shude hummed lightly, "We were the ones who messed up the TBS rebroadcast of 'Tokyo Love Story'."

She gestured with her chin toward the other end of the hall.

Kenji Takemiya was half-sunken in the sofa, the pen in his hand spinning endlessly, while his other hand held his phone, sending a message to someone.

“Kenji Takemiya, who looks like a down-on-his-luck artist, said that love needs divine inspiration. We need to create some details that can spark a flame in their hearts,” Mai Shutoku explained.

"Turning on the TV and suddenly seeing a heartwarming old movie, or looking up in the pouring rain and suddenly seeing a towering building glowing in the sky—these things can stir something within you. He calls this a divine revelation, those little details that can ignite love. Not big events, not deliberately crafted scenes, but things that seem completely accidental, as if fate itself reached out and knocked on the door."

"What exactly is the origin of that thing?"

Su Enxi had been paying attention to Takemiya Kenji for quite some time.

"He sounds like an unemployed bum without a proper job, but he's quite good-looking."

“Kenji Takemiya,” Mai Shude slowly uttered the name, “He’s known as Japan’s number one Casanova. He hosted a late-night show on TV Asahi called ‘The Bible of Emotions,’ which was the top-rated show in its time slot for five consecutive years. Countless women were head over heels in love with him, and the love letters they sent to the TV station every week were so numerous they had to be stuffed into sacks. He was extremely good at understanding women’s psychology, and not just women’s psychology, but all human behavior patterns in relationships.”

"If Lu Mingfei can learn 30% of his skills from him, he probably won't have to worry about defeating the head of the Uesugi family."

"You guys really went all out to help Lu Mingfei pick up a girl," Su Enxi whistled softly.

"It should be said that the boss spared no expense," Mai Shude corrected her.

"Does this kind of absurdity even belong to my aesthetic? These are all elites handpicked by the boss himself. The list was directly sent to my phone, and all I had to do was use the guise of producing a TV program to invite them. The boss even noted down each person's professional strengths and personality weaknesses. Takeshi Igarashi, the one from the wedding planning agency, was noted by the boss as: 'This person's greed for extravagance far exceeds his greed for money. Tell him you can hold the wedding at Meiji Shrine, and he'll do the work for you for free.'"

"The boss was right; he really didn't charge a penny."

Su Enxi remained silent, turning her gaze away from Takemiya Kenji.

"What do you think? Once this mess is completely resolved, could we ask our boss for a paid extended leave?"

“You can give it a try,” Mai Shude replied.

"and then?"

"Then your boss will most likely arrange a brand new and even more absurd task in advance at your long holiday destination, so that you can get the work done while you're on vacation."

"Oh, the life of a wet nurse is so hard."

Chapter 765 Food and Sex: Human Nature

The makeup artist jogged over with an iPad in hand, the screen displaying a meticulously retouched, simulated makeup look of Erii.

She held the machine out to Mai Shude with both hands.

"The bride's natural features are simply stunning. Her skin is so fair that she hardly needs any foundation, and her facial proportions are flawless. Yet, it's immediately obvious that she's never used makeup. Her eyebrows are never shaped, her lips are never cared for, and while her eyelashes are naturally beautiful, they're completely unmaintained. We plan to give her a forest-inspired look, with subtle enhancements to her eyes and lips, maintaining an overall fresh and natural tone to complement her ethereal气质 (qi zhi - inherent quality/temperament)."

In the photo, Erii is layered with light green eyeshadow and nude pink lip gloss, her long hair styled into soft waves cascading over her shoulders, against a perfectly blurred background of a birch forest. The overall tone of the image is cool, with white and green intermingling, making her resemble an elf emerging from the misty depths of a Nordic forest.

It must be admitted that the makeup artist's skills are indeed superb. Every stroke is precise and restrained, without excessive embellishment, preserving Erii's original facial features.

Mai Shude only paused for a second in the photo.

“The forest theme is too cold. The bride herself is already an iceberg; there’s no need to add to that coldness.” She pushed the iPad away, causing the makeup artist to instinctively take a half-step back. “It needs to be sexy. It needs to be warm-toned. It needs to make people want to get closer, not kneel down and worship. Go and wake up the groom’s lustful instincts.”

The makeup artist paused for half a second, nodded vigorously, grabbed her iPad, turned and ran. As she crossed the center of the hall, she almost bumped into the stylist who was rushing towards her with a stack of sketches.

"The bride's outfit matching plan is out." Shunji Kumagai spread out the sketches one by one in front of Mai Shutoku. There were three sets in total, each with detailed fabric samples and reference pictures.

"Since it's a Tokyo love story, let's follow the current trends in Tokyo. The first outfit is a sweet and spicy mix from Shibuya, the second is a light luxury casual style from Omotesando, and the third is an artsy retro style from Daikanyama. These items can be easily found at Shibuya 109 or Omotesando Hills. We can send a stylist to the store in advance to let them know, and then hand them over to the bride and groom when they arrive."

Each of the three outfits was indeed exquisite and perfectly executed. The Shibuya-inspired look featured a sweatshirt paired with a bodycon mini skirt and platform shoes; the Omotesando look consisted of a beige trench coat with white wide-leg pants; and the Daikanyama look was a floral maxi dress with a straw bag. Each outfit accurately captured the current fashion pulse of different neighborhoods in Tokyo, and would definitely be a must-have for any magazine.

“Reduce the skirt length by ten centimeters.” Mai Shude tossed the sketch back to Shunji Kumagai, the same action she had taken when pushing the iPad earlier.

"All three sets reduced?" Shunji Kumagai took the sketch.

"All three sets are reduced."

"But this outfit from Daikanyama takes an artistic approach, with the long skirt being its core element—"

“Reduce the skirt length by ten centimeters,” Mai Shude repeated.

Shunji Kumagai has honed his skills in the fashion industry for over a decade. He has encountered clients who nitpick, brand directors who are completely unreasonable, and top designers who throw tantrums backstage at fashion shows over the placement of a safety pin. But Mai Shutoku is the most ruthless client he has ever met.

She doesn't explain, doesn't waste words, and leaves no room for negotiation; she only gives you instructions down to the centimeter and then lets you process them on your own.

He stared at the sketch in silence for a few seconds, when suddenly a cutting plan popped into his mind, one that would maximize the visual impact of the skirt without losing its artistic essence. So he turned and quickly walked back to his workbench.

“Going on vacation can significantly enhance the intensity of feelings.” Ryoji Suzuki raised his hand and stood up, flipping open a printed and bound proposal in his hand. The cover had several large gold letters on it: “Hot Spring Trip: A Catalyst for Enhanced Feelings”.

He cleared his throat. “Hot spring resorts around Tokyo are a great option. Hakone, Izu, and Atami are all within a two-hour drive. The private environment of hot spring inns naturally fosters intimacy, and the experience of bathing together significantly lowers the psychological barrier to physical contact. Unexpected little mishaps during the trip—missing a train, getting lost in unfamiliar streets—will naturally become catalysts for deepening the relationship. I suggest planning a two-day, one-night trip to Hakone's hot springs, with a budget of approximately—”

"The proposal is rejected." Mai Shude didn't even let him finish reading the budget section. "The bride's health condition is limited. She can go out during the day, but must return to this hotel at night. She cannot stay out overnight."

Ryoji Suzuki paused for two seconds, quickly regained his senses, adjusted his glasses, and took out another alternative plan from his briefcase.

As a relationship counselor who makes a living by submitting proposals, he was used to having his proposals rejected by clients over and over again. The number of proposals that survived in meetings was always far fewer than the number that died. The real skill was not in avoiding rejection, but in how quickly he could come up with a replacement after a proposal was rejected.

One plan after another was drafted, only to be thrown back one after another. Only a handful managed to get through to Jiu De Mai's hands.

The story of how a fully surviving proposal came about: the first submission was rejected, the proposer persevered and produced a second version, which was also rejected, so the proposer produced a third version. When the third version was handed to Mai Shude, it received more than three seconds of attention.

Generally speaking, a gaze lasting more than three seconds means that the proposal has a chance of survival, at which point the proposer should hold their breath and wait for the final judgment.

If Mai Shude lowers her head even slightly, the plan will be approved.

She only pressed her head down three times.

The first time was when Kenji Takemiya proposed the concept of "divine revelation," the second time was when someone suggested adding a trace amount of sleep-aiding ingredients to Erii's bedtime milk to stabilize her emotional fluctuations, and the third time was when an assistant whose name she couldn't recall suggested placing a book of stills from "Tokyo Love Story" as a prop in the love hotel room.

Every proposer who received the pass felt a divine blessing the moment she nodded, while every proposer who was rejected and slunk back to their seat with their documents repeatedly questioned themselves during those few steps, "Am I still suitable for this line of work?"

Mai Shude designed a reward and punishment system for the entire expert group.

The underlying logic is extremely simple: the less time the expert panel spends getting the bride and groom to commit to each other, the higher the extra bonus each of them can receive.

Complete the basic target to receive the full contract amount. Complete it one day ahead of schedule to receive an additional 20% bonus. Complete it two days ahead of schedule to receive an additional 50% bonus. Bonuses will continue to accumulate beyond that, with no upper limit.

So the experts pulled out all the stops, coming up with ideas that ranged from romantic ones resembling the cover copy of a third-rate romance novel to vulgar ones that made you wonder if you'd stumbled into some kind of underground film set, and some that found a delicate balance between the two that left you wondering whether to applaud or cover your face.