Electronics Expo

(Arthur POV)

The presence of a Bruce Lee doppelganger before me was tempting fate. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of scrapping my current project in favor of recreating "Enter the Dragon." But I quickly dismissed the notion. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was already in motion, and it felt wrong to suddenly change course.

Besides, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a masterpiece in its own right, easily capable of reaching a hundred million at the box office. If executed properly, the film could likely hit that mark in the three demon kingdoms alone: Morningstar, Horn, and Thorn.

I'd already decided: Lee Jun-fan would portray the character of Li Mu Bai.

To most, the name "Li Mu Bai" might sound peculiar, but not so much in the demon kingdoms. It was a quirk of this world that demon culture shared surprising similarities with Chinese culture from my previous life. I wasn't Chinese in that life, but even I could recognize that the demons' ancient language was essentially Chinese, though it had long since fallen into extinction, leaving no one able to read it anymore.

Names like "Lee Jun-fan," "Wang," "Yu," and "Lee" still existed among demons, but their bearers likely had no idea of their meanings. These Chinese-sounding names were becoming increasingly rare, phased out by the ubiquitous "common tongue" or "World's Language" that had somehow become the global standard.

It wasn't just demon languages that had vanished into the mists of time. Many human, elven, and dwarven kingdoms and countries had also lost their original tongues. I often wondered what cataclysmic event could have led to such widespread linguistic homogenization.

The elves and dwarves, to their credit, still clung to vestiges of their ancient languages. They had elders who could speak the old tongues, but even among their own kind, the vast majority couldn't read or understand a single word of their ancestral scripts.

***

(3rd Person POV)

The Hellfire team fanned out across Horn Kingdom, scouting for the perfect filming locations for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Fortune smiled upon Arthur; the kingdom boasted a diverse landscape that seemed tailor-made for his vision. Ancient villages, stubbornly clinging to tradition amidst a modernizing world, stood frozen in time. Undeveloped forests and majestic mountains offered the perfect backdrop for the film's more rugged scenes.

For the desert sequences, the team made an unconventional choice: the kingdom's secluded beaches. It was here that Arthur now stood with his crew, the soft sand crunching beneath their feet as they surveyed the potential shooting location.

Eli, a demoness heading the illusion team, walked alongside Arthur, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "With our new technique, we can efficiently use illusion magic to transform this beach into the desert for our film," she explained, gesturing towards the expanse of sand and sea before them.

Arthur nodded, his interest piqued. "So you've mastered those new film techniques we discussed?"

Eli's face broke into a proud smile. "Yes, boss," she confirmed, barely containing her enthusiasm. "By implementing our newly developed illusion artifact directly into our camera, we can create backdrop illusions more efficiently than ever before."

A look of satisfaction crossed Arthur's face as he absorbed this information. Their latest innovation was an artifact imbued with illusion magic, designed to be embedded directly into the camera lens. Through this enchanted lens, they could conjure a convincing desert backdrop, seamlessly replacing the sea.

Of course, there were limitations. The illusion would only cover the seaward side of the beach, and actors would be confined to the sandy shore. The camera, too, would need to remain stationary. But Arthur saw these not as obstacles, but as creative challenges.

"This technique will be perfect for our wide shots and distant scenes," Arthur mused aloud. "For close-ups, we can easily manage without the illusion."

***

While Hellfire Studio bustled with preparations for their upcoming film, another spectacle was unfolding across the sea in Empirica. The Electronics Expo in Apple City had drawn inventors and innovators from all corners of the worldâ€"humans, elves, and dwarves alike showcasing their latest technological marvels.

Despite Empirica being predominantly human, it was the dwarves who stole the show. Their reputation for genius preceded them, and they were welcomed with open arms in countries and kingdoms far and wide, Empirica included.

The expo hall hummed with excitement, but nowhere was the crowd thicker than in the section devoted to electronics and mechanical wonders. At the heart of this throng stood Billy Dark, a dwarf of considerable renown. His company, DARK ELECTRONICS, was a billion-dollar enterprise whose products had become integral to daily life across the globe.

Today, Billy and his team were unveiling their latest creation: a mechanical puppet powered by a magic core. With a simple push of a button on its back, the puppet could perform a variety of household tasksâ€"sweeping floors, washing dishes, and more.

"Wow! This is an amazing development, Mr. Dark!" an onlooker exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder.

Another voice chimed in, "As expected from Mr. Dark. It's an incredible invention."

Billy acknowledged the praise with a modest smile. "It can be easily commanded by a simple push of a button," he explained, demonstrating by pressing the 'dishes' button. The puppet immediately set aside its broom and began washing plates in the kitchen demo area.

A tech journalist pushed forward, notepad at the ready. "How much will this cost if it's released to the public, Mr. Dark?"

"It won't be much," Billy replied, his eyes twinkling. "Maybe around 299 or 499 dollars for a basic puppet. The advanced model will be 499."

"That's very cheap," another journalist remarked. "Having one puppet is like having a servant."

Billy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes," he agreed. "With just a monthly change of an inferior magic core, it's much cheaper than paying a servant. And with a high-quality magic core, the puppet can remain powered for several months."

Yet as impressive as Billy's invention was, other innovators, both famous and unknown, were showcasing their own technological prototypes throughout the expo.

In the less popular section of the expo, where newcomers to the electronics industry displayed their creations, foot traffic was sparse. Only a few curious onlookers wandered through, glancing at the various stalls.

George, along with Drake and Josh, sat silently at their booth as people passed by, barely sparing them a glance.

"What do we do now, boss George?" Drake asked nervously, his discomfort evident.

Drake and Josh, having spent months working behind computers, were clearly out of their element in this public setting. Their introverted natures didn't help matters.

George, while more extroverted, found himself at a loss. But he'd promised his friend Arthur he'd do his best, so he steeled himself to make the most of this opportunity.

Just as George was pondering how to motivate his team, a human journalist approached their stall.

"What kind of product are you guys presenting?" the man asked, curiosity piqued.

George stood up quickly, gesturing to the computer on the table. "We're introducing a computer! It's a groundbreaking invention from Hellfire Electronics!"

The journalist furrowed his brows. "Hellfire Electronics?" The name was unfamiliar, though not unusual for this section of the expo. Still, the word 'Hellfire' rang a distant bell.

"Yes, yes. We're from Hellfire Electronics," George grinned, seizing the moment. He introduced his companions, "These two led the development of this computer technology we're presenting."

The journalist nodded. "I see, I see. What does this computer do?" He gestured at the device, "It looks like a television and that... fancy typewriter?"

Drake and Josh, sensing their cue, launched into an explanation of the computer's capabilities, demonstrating the operating system and its functions.

The journalist, who introduced himself as Mack Eagle, listened with growing interest. "Wow... This is incredible dwarven technology. As expected of the dwarves."

"Um... It's not dwarven," Drake corrected. "In fact, it's an invention of our boss Arthur. He's a demon."

Mack frowned, doubt creeping into his expression. "A demon?" he paused before asking, "If he's the inventor, why isn't he here?"

"Uh... He's actually busy making a film..." George admitted.

"Making a film?" Mack's confusion deepened.

"Yeah. I don't know if you know him, but he's Arthur Morningstar," George explained.

Mack's eyes widened as the name registered. 'Are you kidding me?'