Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The office of the municipal bureau chief was filled with smoke.

Director Chen sat in his leather chair, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly. Opposite him sat a slick-haired man, gesturing wildly at a proposal in his hand.

"Director Chen, don't worry! This is a key S+ level project for the provincial TV station this year!"

The man's name is Liu Bo, a top producer at the provincial TV station and also Huayi Media's "go-to" partner.

He pushed up his frameless glasses, his face showing shrewd calculation.

"Following the Police on Patrol, live online, unedited, emphasizing 'authenticity'! This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the positive image of our Jinghai Police Force! You see, young people these days are all celebrity worshippers, so we need to educate them about the law in a way they enjoy, right?"

Director Chen didn't reply, but simply picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

Although he is old, he is not blind.

The back of this proposal bears the logo of "Huayi Media," and even a fool would know it's a case of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken.

They just issued a notice to investigate them, and then they sent them a variety show invitation?

This isn't legal education; it's clearly putting the special investigation team in a very difficult position.

"Producer Liu".

Director Chen put down his teacup, his tone neither warm nor cold, "We are a disciplined force, not a theatrical troupe. Having celebrities in police uniforms following us around like a show? That's against the rules."

"Oh dear, Director Chen, you need to update your thinking!"

Liu Bo grew anxious, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, "This isn't just a show; we've invited celebrities who embody positive values. Take, for example, the newly crowned Best Actor, Xiao Huohuo. He volunteered to come and experience the hardships of grassroots police officers, and also to set a good example for his fans."

When the name "Xiao Huohuo" was mentioned, Director Chen's eyelids twitched violently.

Good grief, the person in question has delivered themselves to our doorstep?

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Come in."

Lu Jingyan pushed open the door and entered.

He had just returned from a "set visit" at the film studio, still wearing that black leather jacket and carrying a dripping iced Americano. He exuded a lingering aura of menace.

"Chief, you wanted to see me?"

Lu Jingyan glanced at Liu Bo, his gaze lingering on the proposal for half a second, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"Oh my! This must be Captain Lu?"

Liu Bo's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up, his enthusiasm as if he had seen his long-lost father. "Seeing is believing! You're even more handsome in person than in photos! This image, this charisma, you're practically the living advertisement for our show!"

He reached out to shake hands, but Lu Jingyan simply nodded and walked straight to Director Chen's desk.

"My hands just touched the corpse (actually, they touched the steering wheel), so it's not very convenient."

Liu Bo's hand froze in mid-air, and he awkwardly withdrew it, but a smile still lingered on his face: "Captain Lu is so funny, so funny."

Director Chen pushed the proposal to Lu Jingyan, his eyes hinting, "Take a look. It's a big production from the provincial TV station, and they specifically requested your special investigation team. They said it's something like... police-community cooperation?"

Lu Jingyan casually flipped through two pages.

The proposal was written in flowery language, with phrases like "going deep into the front lines," "experiencing reality," and "promoting righteousness."

The translation is just two words: whitewashing.

Let those celebrities with shady pasts put on police uniforms, pose in front of the camera, help an old lady cross the street, rescue a stray cat, buy a few trending topics, and then nobody will mention their past misdeeds anymore.

This is the "public relations crisis transfer method" commonly used in the entertainment industry.

"Producer Liu".

Lu Jingyan closed the proposal and tossed it back onto the table with a crisp "thud." "This program, it's invested in by Huayi Media, right?"

Liu Bo's heart skipped a beat, realizing that this young policeman was not easily fooled.

"Ahem, it's a joint production, a joint production."

Liu Bo chuckled, "Captain Lu, heroes come from all walks of life. Whose money it is isn't important; what's important is that we can use this platform to help the public better understand police work, right?"

"and……"

Liu Bo took out a bank card from his bag and quietly placed it under the project proposal, his eyes filled with ambiguity.

"The production team has prepared a substantial 'consulting fee' for the special investigation team as compensation for their hard work. In addition, if Captain Lu is willing to appear on screen, we will pay him a fee at the standard of a top-tier celebrity."

Sugar-coated shells.

It's still a sugar-coated bullet disguised under the guise of righteousness.

If Lu Jingyan refuses, it will be seen as "uncooperative with publicity work" and "rigid thinking"; if he accepts, it will be like accepting a favor and he will have to think twice before investigating Huayi Media in the future.

That's quite a clever scheme.

Director Chen's face darkened, and he was about to slam his fist on the table and kick people out.

"OK."

Lu Jingyan suddenly spoke up.

He picked up the bank card, twirled it in his hand, and then smiled at Liu Bo: "We'll take the money. I'll have the finance department issue you an invoice for 'police-civilian joint construction donation' later, which can be considered Huayi Media's contribution to the security of Jinghai."

Liu Bo was stunned, then overjoyed.

They accepted it?

You're accepting it already?

The legendary King Yama, who was supposedly impervious to reason, turned out to be a money-grubbing character!

"Captain Lu is so straightforward! I love dealing with easygoing people!" Liu Bo rubbed his hands excitedly. "And that program..."

"We've accepted the show."

Lu Jingyan took a sip of his iced Americano and said in a relaxed tone, "However, since the main focus is on 'authenticity,' then we have to follow our rules."

"Of course! Of course!" Liu Bo nodded repeatedly. "As long as you cooperate, I'll write the script however you like!"

No, a script is not needed.

Lu Jingyan pushed up his glasses, a hunter's cold glint flashing behind the lenses.

"Since we're going on patrol with the police, we have to do it for real. There are no rehearsals, no do-overs, we just deal with whatever case comes up."

"We want the audience to see the most authentic Jinghai, and we also want those big stars who want to 'experience life' to have a good feel for it..."

He paused, his smile deepening, yet sending a chill down one's spine.

What does it mean to say "The net of justice is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it"?

Liu Bo felt a chill run down his spine, but then he thought, "It's just a variety show! There aren't that many real cases. At most, it's just catching a drunk driver or mediating a dispute. Once the cameras are rolling, isn't it the celebrities who call the shots?"

"No problem! Absolutely no problem! That's exactly what we want—authenticity!"

Liu Bo patted his chest and assured him, but inwardly he was mocking the young policeman's naiveté.

When tens of millions of fans flood into the live stream, the direction of public opinion will be out of your control.

"Then it's settled."

Lu Jingyan stood up and dismissed him, saying, "Producer Liu, go back and prepare. See you at the Municipal Bureau entrance at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

After seeing off the beaming Liu Bo, Director Chen looked at Lu Jingyan with some concern.

"Xiao Lu, you're playing with fire. Huayi Media is here to whitewash their image. If they pull something during the live stream or use fans to stir up trouble, we'll be in trouble."

"Director, don't worry."

Lu Jingyan walked to the window, looking at the luxury car speeding away downstairs with a cold gaze.

"They want to use live streaming to whitewash their image, so let them try."

"Perfect timing, I also need a platform to give the entire online audience a vivid public lesson on 'anti-corruption and anti-organized crime'."

"The cameras are all set up, and the lights are on."

"What if, at this moment, the lead actor were suddenly handcuffed and taken away..."

Lu Jingyan turned around and gave Director Chen an extremely bright smile:

"You tell me, how high will the ratings go?"

Director Chen paused for a moment, then pointed at Lu Jingyan and said with a laugh, "You little rascal, you're full of bad ideas! Fine, go ahead and do it! If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame!"

……

At 8 p.m. that evening, it topped the Weibo trending list.

An explosive official announcement instantly ignited the long-dormant Chinese entertainment industry.

[@Provincial TV Variety Channel: The first-ever online police documentary live-stream variety show, "Following the Police on Patrol," is coming soon! The special investigation team from the Jinghai City Public Security Bureau joins the show, and a mystery top-tier celebrity guest will also make a surprise appearance at the police station, embarking on a thrilling patrol journey! Tune in tomorrow morning at 9 AM!]

There are two pictures.

One photo shows Lu Jingyan in his police uniform, his profile strikingly handsome with a cool expression, so good-looking it's breathtaking.

The other one is a silhouette.

Although it was just a silhouette, the iconic earrings and hairstyle instantly caused the 60 million "Fire Army" fans across the internet to go wild.

【Ahhh! It's my brother! It's our Huo Huo!】

[Oh my god! My brother's going to be a policeman?! That's so alluring! I'm dying!]

[I knew my brother was a positive role model! Those trolls who spread rumors about him using drugs, come out and get your comeuppance!]

[Looking forward to the dream collaboration between the older brother and Officer Lu! Two visually stunning stars on the same screen, what an amazing variety show this is!]

Looking at the overwhelming comments and compliments online, Lu Jingyan sat on the sofa at home and casually sent a WeChat message to Su Xiaoxiao.

"Are you ready?"

Su Xiaoxiao replied instantly with an "OK" emoji, followed by a line of text:

"We have plenty of urine test strips."

Lu Jingyan put down his phone and looked out at the night view.

Whitewash?

Tomorrow, I'll make you "transparent".