In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 219 Recording the program
The gate of the 9th Special Counter-Strike Force camp.

Comrade Xiao Wei, along with 62 soldiers from the Second Company of the First Brigade, waited at the entrance for the program crew to arrive.

The bus drove up from a distance and came to a smooth stop at the camp gate. As soon as the door slid open, the program director, Qi Yong, got off the bus and waved to Comrade Xiao Wei in greeting.

Their attitude was unusually friendly, even respectful.

In this era before the internet was developed, mobile phones were still 2G networks, the economy was dominated by rationing, and the public was undoubtedly the superior class.

Even an ordinary clerk has a little bit of power.

Even though the entertainment industry has gained more influence in recent years with the widespread use of home appliances, it still needs to bow its head within the system.

"Hello, Leader Wei."

"Just call me comrade. Do you need help moving things?"

"No need, no need. We have staff, so there's no need for you soldiers to go through that trouble."

"No need to be polite. Captain Lu specifically instructed that we should lend a hand if we can. If we just stand by and watch you move things, I won't be able to explain it to Captain Lu when he comes to see us."

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you."

Qi Yong looked at the seventy-two muscular men, each nearly two meters tall, and thought they would be able to move things quickly.

What surprised him even more was that the seemingly indifferent Captain Lu actually seemed quite enthusiastic and sent someone specifically to help.

The soldiers of the First Company of the First Battalion on duty were also surprised by this, as Lu Zhao took this matter so seriously.

Lu Zhidu had no other intention in doing so. He was simply issuing the order subconsciously out of habit.

He didn't realize that a service-oriented mindset is neither innate nor the norm.

Just like in the days before the internet was developed, it was hard to imagine that celebrities could be threatened by the underworld to make movies.

If this were during the Federation's most prosperous period, fairness could still be achieved in all sectors of society, but the post-cataclysmic era no longer offers that opportunity.

The times always progress in a spiral.

The camp gates opened, and the program crew's convoy entered the special counter-terrorism unit's camp.

Inside the car, the artists and staff looked around with curiosity.

They saw hundreds of muscular men, each at least 1.9 meters tall, running, boxing, and training.

Especially as the slogans were chanted, the extraordinary energy and spirit of the second-tier transcendent beings burst forth, making people's hearts beat faster and causing a kind of inexplicable panic.

Most of the special forces in Cangwu are at the second level. There are very few superhumans in society. On average, there is only one first-level superhuman among three or four hundred people.

Even though achieving first-tier transcendence isn't difficult, due to limited resources, federal compulsory education has no chance of being developed.

Often, a small number of life-sustaining supplements are distributed, and students with high conversion rates are given special training. Alternatively, students whose parents have connections or influence can be directly placed in these programs.

The program was filmed at the barracks of the First Squadron of the First Detachment.

The bus deflated with a "whoosh" and stopped in front of rows of military barracks bungalows.

Makeup artists carried huge makeup cases, while photographers and assistants began unloading equipment from the luggage compartment at the bottom of the bus.

With the help of the special agents, Comrade Xiao Wei quickly moved all the luggage to an open space.

Camera cases, reflectors, aluminum alloy light stands, and various bulging equipment cases piled up in the open space, forming a small mountain.

Qi Yong wiped his sweat and said, "Comrade Wei, thank you so much. Without you, it would probably take at least an hour to move all these things."

Comrade Xiao Wei asked, "Do you need a special warehouse to store all these things?"

Qi Yong waved his hand and said, "No need, we can just set up a tent later."

Meanwhile, on a bus.

A group of well-dressed men and women filed down the stairs, instantly enlivening the quiet camp.

"Is this where special operations soldiers live? It looks no different from a regular military camp."

"They're all human beings, where do you think they should live?"

"A second-tier transcendent being, that's at least a chief official outside, and a big leader to us. We don't even have to pay for meals when we go out."

"My sunscreen, has anyone seen my newly opened bottle of sunscreen?"

There were six artists participating in the event: a tough-guy actor, a rising star idol, a veteran musician, a veteran film critic, a comedian, and a new actress.

This is a fairly standard configuration.

One very famous top-tier celebrity, several second- or third-tier artists with some fame, plus a newcomer with little fame.

Top-tier celebrities are responsible for attracting attention and are the "face" of the show. Second- and third-tier mid-tier artists and veteran performers provide the program content and drive the process.

Comedians and variety show personalities are in charge of creating atmosphere and providing laughs.

Newcomers are just entering the public eye and sometimes they are responsible for creating unexpected conflicts and laughs because they "don't know the rules".

Variety shows are not simply about inviting a group of celebrities to eat and chat; every segment is pre-planned.

Even the actions of celebrities were pre-arranged.

In a way, this is also a form of acting.

Li Mufeng was among them, and it was vaguely clear that the crowd centered around him, like stars surrounding the moon, with people following him at all times.

"Why isn't Brother Li on his honeymoon? Why is he here filming a TV show?"

The comedian approached Li Mufeng and flattered him, saying, "No wonder Brother Li is so popular."

Li Mufeng revealed a smug smile, but said modestly, "It's just an engagement, not a wedding yet."

In order to win over Chen Qian, he even promised that "while other women are having affairs, my own will remain steadfast," and did everything he could to please her before he finally succeeded.

Women are generally more emotional, but this emotionality is not necessarily a feeling; rather, it is a kind of inner sensation.

Make Chen Qian feel that she is excellent, that life with her won't be worse, and that she is happy with her.

Ultimately, they had only known each other for six months, and they slept together on the very day they met. How could there possibly be any love between them?

But none of that matters. Now that he has climbed up to the position of Marquis Wu and become his son-in-law, everything will be different in the future.

We used to be the Chen family's dogs, but now we've turned the tables and are in charge.

Thinking of this, Li Mufeng raised his chin even higher, drawing envious glances from everyone around him.

Marquis Wu is an unattainable figure for anyone, like a celestial being.

Since extraordinary power cannot be inherited through bloodline, it is inevitable that some fantasies will arise, such as imagining that they will marry into the Wuhou family and soar to great heights.

The production team worked diligently throughout the rest of the day, finally getting everything ready by 4 p.m.

Filming location, equipment placement, personnel arrangements, and so on.

During this period, a brief photo shoot was conducted, the gist of which was that it was the first time I had come to the camp, I had a conversation with Comrade Xiaowei, visited the accommodations, and had a meal in the canteen.

These scenes were filmed separately, and the total time shown on television was less than three minutes.

The program airs once a week, and each episode lasts two hours.

Five o'clock in the afternoon, dinner time.

The squadron's mess hall prepared a sumptuous dinner for them, with plenty of various meats, high-quality ingredients, and a taste that was just as good as that of restaurants outside.

During the event, a rumor began to circulate among the program's staff.

The administrative head of this place, who is also the detachment leader, has a very good appearance and was a military representative at the beginning of the year for the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War.

When it comes to military representatives on the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, many people immediately have something in mind.

Three months have passed, and Lu Zhao has not appeared in public. Simply being handsome will make one quickly forgotten, but the public will retain a memory of him.

People might not remember your name, but they'll definitely recognize the event.

"It was him! I remember him clearly, he was super handsome!"

A female makeup artist's voice rang out, and she said with a rather infatuated tone, "If I run into you later, could I ask for your contact information?"

"He's a detachment commander, or at least a regimental commander. You're just a toad trying to eat swan meat." "The detachment commander of the Cangwu City Special Counter-Strike Force. I remember the report from back then. He seems to have received a first-class merit. I guess his future position won't be low."

"Can't you think about it? Maybe?"

While everyone else was making a ruckus, the special agents on the other side ate quietly.

For second-tier superhumans, eating is more of an enjoyment than a way to replenish energy.

Their average metabolism is now at least 10,000 units. It's not impossible for them to supplement their metabolism with ordinary food, but that would result in too much waste and would also affect their life development.

Eating is more about preventing mental health issues.

One in five superhumans who do not eat for years suffer from mental illness.

Some religious sects advocate fasting, but that is another form of spiritual practice, not simply abstaining from food.

On the first day, the program consisted of morning training. Li Mufeng's physical fitness was superior to the others, while comedians provided the laughs.

During the midday target practice session, Li Mufeng achieved the best result, while the new actress came in second, thus increasing her exposure in accordance with the company's requirements.

Everyone was exhausted from filming at night, but Li Mufeng and the rugged male actor handled it calmly, taking into account the male actor's persona.

For the following week, following a similar process, they continued filming the pre-set script.

The production team controls the overall highlights of the show, while the actors themselves manage the smaller details, such as the interactions between the guests. Of course, the changes in the relationships between the actors during the show are also scripted.

In general, Li Mufeng is responsible for stealing the spotlight, while the others play supporting roles and incidentally gain some exposure.

Qi Yong did not forget his mission. He specially selected a few soldiers who were not so fierce to show the flesh and blood of the special operations soldiers under their helmets, and chatted and laughed with the guests.

On the sixth day, Qi Yong finally couldn't help but ask, "Comrade Wei, when is Commander Lu coming?"

"Uh... I'll ask for you later."

At 4 PM, the guests completed their shooting training one after another. As the last day of this episode, they all grew in a pre-planned manner.

It's commendable that they gave way to the only "unenthusiastic" comedian, allowing him to cause further conflict, but he was ultimately moved by the spirit of the military.

If possible, Qi Yong wanted to arrange for Lu Zhao to influence the comedian, or to have the company's newly promoted actress develop a romantic relationship with him.

But this is obviously impossible.

He is a genuine regimental commander, a first-level official of the Federal Road.

Even if your boss is all smiles at you, you can't take him for granted.

"Director, can we take a break now?"

The new actress, looking exhausted, cried out. She was a rather lazy person, but for the sake of her persona, she had to pretend to be diligent, rigid, and somewhat naive.

Every time she practiced shooting, the rifle butt would hit her shoulder and make it hurt.

Qi Yong said, "It's not good yet. Chief Lu will be here soon, so let's all hang in there for a bit."

Upon hearing this, everyone perked up slightly, and the other staff members present also showed expressions of curiosity.

About twenty minutes later, Lu Zhao arrived at the shooting range, followed by his guards and Comrade Xiao Wei.

The moment he walked in, the special agents in the area stopped what they were doing and stood at attention to salute him in unison.

All eyes turned to them.

Lu Zhao walked in slowly, and perhaps influenced by the movements of the special agents around him, a sense of oppression came over him.

The cameras, which were already prepared, immediately pointed at him. Qi Yong rushed over and said, "Chief Lu, what brings you here?"

I didn't want to come yet.

Lu Zhao said without changing his expression, "I heard that a group of big stars came to the camp, so I came here specifically to take a look."

"Everyone come over here and let Commander Lu see the results of your week of training."

Then each guest saluted Lu Zhao, giving a report in an awkward and incongruous manner.

"Reporting to the commander, my name is Li Mufeng!"

Li Mufeng had a cold and stern face, looking very imposing, but his posture and movements were all crooked and awkward.

If that were one of my soldiers, I would have kicked him.

Lu Zhao silently complained to himself, but instead of finding fault with the guests, he offered them all encouragement.

As for Li Mufeng, there's no rush to deal with it; we'll have to wait until the Chief Justice of the Dali Division is formally charged and the program airs before deciding on a course of action.

Li Mufeng felt a bit hostile when he saw Lu Zhao for the first time. Given his information channels, he naturally didn't know about Chen Qian and Lu Zhao's relationship.

Even Marquis Chen Wu wouldn't allow his daughter's shameful affair to be widely publicized unless it was impossible to keep it a secret.

For example, Chen Qian's scandals, one or two can be covered up, but if there are scandals for four or five years in a row, then there is no need to cover them up.

His hostility was directed solely at Lu Zhao's appearance.

The production team worked through the night to finish editing the footage.

The program aired successfully on April 7th and immediately received a very positive response.

As Qi Yong had predicted, Lu Zhao became a media frenzy, sparking widespread discussion.

For a time, it was the most popular show of its kind.

On the morning of April 8th, Qi Yong received a call from his company, informing him to try not to film Lu Zhao anymore.

"Why? Boss, this is a very eye-catching point. Captain Lu is more talked about than Li Mufeng."

The two looked very similar, but their social statuses were worlds apart, with Lu Zhao being more common in society.

Some people may dislike, hate, or belittle celebrities. But no one would belittle officials or think they are not respectable.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"If this person appears, will Li Mufeng still have a chance to perform? You edited two hours of footage, and the audience is still discussing the last few minutes."

"..."

Qi Yong was speechless.

Every project the company undertakes is purposeful, and Lu Zhao is not an artist under their company.

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in the afternoon.

Lu Zhao visited Zhou Wanhua at the Special Countermeasures Force General Hospital.

At this time, Zhou Wanhua was already able to get out of bed and walk.

He uttered a curse in the Jinghu dialect, saying, "Damn it, this medicine is confusing my urge to defecate with my hunger, making it impossible for me to eat properly."

Lu Zhao placed the fruit basket on the table and asked, "When can you be discharged from the hospital?"

Zhou Wanhua replied, "The doctor said I can be discharged tomorrow. The only problem is this addiction. Although I have medication to suppress it, the sensory confusion is too torturous."

"Did something happen?"

Lu Zhao got straight to the point: "Li Mufeng is currently recording a program in my camp. I want to arrest him immediately after the Chief of the Dali Division files a case."

"Isn't this going too far?"

Zhou Wanhua's eyebrows twitched as he said, "This is a star at the height of his career. If we arrest him, the public outcry will be enormous."

"Celebrities do not have legal immunity."

"Are you really going to do it?"

Lu Zhao nodded slightly, and Zhou Wanhua hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Anyway, if the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up. If you follow Brother Lu, you'll get both soup and meat.

In the past, Zhou Wanhua would never have gone with Lu Zhaofeng, risking punishment, to capture a popular federal star.

(End of this chapter)