What Kind of Ridiculous War Drama? The Kind with Grenades Stuffed down Their Pants?

Lu Yuanhang was practically going mad with rage.

Did he look like someone anyone could just lecture?

Even a mere cameraman dared climb onto his head and take a shit?!

"I see you don't want this job anymore!"

Lu Yuanhang ground his teeth, his eyes venomous, as though he wanted to skin the man and tear him limb from limb.

The cameraman was getting irritated too. "Why don't you request a different cameraman?"

Lu Yuanhang gave him a smile that never reached his eyes. "You're certainly eager to get yourself killed."

The cameraman had no interest in responding to threats like that.

His earlier retort hadn't been some sudden outburst.

After all, they'd been putting up with him ever since filming began.

On camera, Lu Yuanhang could still put on an act, appearing frail and kind to win the public's sympathy.

But the moment he was out of the livestream's view, he started ordering everyone around.

He did nothing but complain and gripe, showing the staff no respect whatsoever.

Behind the scenes, everyone on the production team was sick to death of this panda-blood drama queen.

Without Lu Siqi's superpower, he probably wouldn't even survive this season of the show!

The cameraman couldn't be bothered with him anymore and started practicing tuning him out and letting things slide.

The viewers would vent his anger for him anyway...

Another ten minutes or so passed before Lu Yuanhang grew bored, pushed open the classroom door, and returned to his seat.

Like a passing current of air, his departure and return caused no ripples at all.

Before long, class ended, and the guests provisionally named the Revenge Squad filed out of the classroom.

While Jian Li was running around the training grounds and waiting for dinner, his phone rang.

The production team's rules were fairly relaxed. Outside training hours, they could make and receive calls whenever they wanted.

So he freely swiped to answer. "Li, what's up?"

"Something big!" Li Lin sounded excited. "A web drama wants you as its male lead! Five hundred thousand per episode, thirty episodes total-that's fifteen million! As long as you pass the audition, they'll pay half up front!"

Compared with his manager, who was practically weeping with joy after all their hardships, Jian Li was much calmer. "What kind of drama? Why are they offering so much?"

"Two male leads! It's adapted from a hugely popular boys' love novel, with a massive fan base. I've read the script, and it's very faithful to the original. With a little luck, you could become an overnight sensation!" Li Lin sounded so eager that he seemed ready to bring the contract to the island and get Jian Li's signature right now.

"Not doing it." Jian Li took a moment to process that, then gave a concise answer.

Li Lin froze. "Why?!"

"I'm straight. Why would I play someone gay?" Jian Li's lips curved into a grin. "Find me one of those ridiculous war dramas instead. I love defending my country amid the flames of battle."

Li Lin said, "..."

What kind of ridiculous war drama?

The kind with grenades stuffed down their pants?

Is there something wrong with you? Those outrageously absurd shows are for middle-aged people and seniors!

"That's it, then. Hanging up." Without waiting for his manager to respond, Jian Li ended the call.

Li Lin stared at the screen, which had returned to the home page, utterly speechless.

Was this brat no longer short of money?!

Jian Li tucked his phone into his pants pocket and heard his stomach growl.

There was no helping it. With all the extra exercise lately, his appetite had grown too.

It was as though his body wanted to make up for years of deprivation. Everything he ate seemed to fall into a bottomless pit.

He was a classic case of never getting full and getting hungry again fast-the hyperthyroid type.

He was just about to head to the kitchen and find something to tide him over when his phone chimed at an inconvenient moment.

Jian Li swiped it open and sneered.

[Time to pay the interest on your dad's gambling debts, isn't it? You signed the IOU. Hiding won't help. Even if this goes to court, you won't win!]

After one glance, his fingertips tapped the keyboard. [Then sue me. I'll wait for the summons.]

Were loan sharks really this law-abiding these days?

They were actually waving an IOU around?

Did they think the bank interest-rate limits were just for show?

And this involved illegal gambling, too!

Jian Li couldn't stop grinning.

[Kid, don't make us do this the hard way. Watch out, or we'll come find you and cripple you! Don't forget the half month you spent in the hospital last time!]

Jian Li laughed again. [Oh no, I'm so scared. Come by anytime. Oh, right, not these next couple of days. I'm filming a variety show.]

[The pay's pretty good, but I'm still not paying you back.]

The debt-collecting lackey lost his composure at that text and turned to his boss for help. "Isn't Jian Li being way too infuriating? Who taught him to run his mouth like this?!"

The boss came over and glanced at the conversation. "Bluffing. He's definitely bluffing! When have we ever shown up without scaring him to tears?!"

The lackey suddenly hesitated. "Boss, have you been watching Lone Warrior? I feel like Jian Li's changed. He's really impressive on the show!"

The boss dismissed it. "How tough could he be when he's that skinny? Don't you know those shows are all scripted?!"

"But..." The lackey wanted to say more.

The boss waved him off. "Find Jian Li's dad first. That bastard's asking for a beating. Beat him hard enough, and he'll go to his son!"

"All right." The lackey nodded.

Before Jian Li could put away the phone he'd been typing on, someone leaned over beside him.

"Who's that? Someone collecting a debt?" Yuan Feng stared curiously at the screen.

Jian Li glanced at him. "Do you enjoy snooping into other people's private business that much?"

"Sorry."

His undercover habits had kicked in!

Realizing he'd overstepped, Yuan Feng quickly looked away. A second later, he asked out of concern, "That doesn't look like a legitimate lender. How did you get mixed up with..."

"It's because he has a gambling addict for a dad," Lu Yuanhang eagerly cut in. "He's borrowed plenty from my brother too!"

Luo Xiaohong, who was approaching from behind, frowned. "Why do you always have to butt in? Are you some kind of busybody?"

"I..." Lu Yuanhang choked on her retort. "I was only stating the facts."

"That is the truth." Jian Li smiled indifferently. "That bastard of a father of mine is a compulsive gambler. He won't pay his debts, and he forced me to sign an IOU."

Shi Huayi and Zhou Nan cast sympathetic looks his way and asked, seemingly casually, "What's the name of the company you owe?"

"Let me think." Jian Li scratched his head. "Juyuanbao?"

The moment he said it, he felt an intense gaze directed at him from nearby.

He instinctively looked over and saw Huo Xiao standing a short distance away, his jaw tight and his lips pressed together in silence.

At the debt collection company's name, all the guests fell silent.

The atmosphere around them turned strangely mysterious and unsettling.

Yuan Feng: Don't tell me it's the same financial backer my teammates are investigating?!

Shi Huayi: Wasn't that the name of the company suspected of laundering huge sums of money?!

Zhou Nan: The one with close ties to foreign organizations was called something-bao, wasn't it?!

Luo Xiaohong: Isn't that the company I sent my disciples to infiltrate and dismantle?!

Huo Xiao: The weather's turned cold. Time for Juyuanbao to go bankrupt.

Jian Li: *...*

What the hell are those looks on your faces?!

Do you owe this company money too?!