Before Lone Warrior premiered, it had already been decided that the guests would gather at the end of each season to watch a highlight reel.
The production crew had booked the venue well in advance and was just waiting for everyone to arrive before filming.
But with the start time fast approaching, two guests still hadn't shown up.
At first, Jian Li's phone wouldn't connect. Li Lu paced like an ant on a hot pan, and with no other options left, he went over to Huo Xiao and asked,
"Best Actor Huo, you left with Jian Li last night. Did he go home?"
"He didn't get drunk and fall asleep by the roadside, did he?!"
Huo Xiao's lips curved slightly. "No. I took him home."
As soon as he said that, whispers broke out around them.
The voices buzzed like mosquitoes, brimming with excitement.
"Oh my God! Huo Xiao actually took Jian Li home?! Is this ship real?!"
"What did they do at his place? Don't tell me they screwed and he didn't stay the night?!"
"Ooh, he probably slipped away under cover of darkness so the paparazzi wouldn't catch him."
"A one-night stand?! Hot! Could he get pregnant?!"
"Like hell he could. You think this is some erotica novel?"
"Jian Li's having a baby! Pass it on!"
"..."
The crew's gossip grew increasingly outrageous. Li Lu wanted to set them straight, but he simply didn't have the time.
Luckily, his call to Jian Li finally connected, and he immediately demanded, "Where the hell did you disappear to?!"
The show had to go on, even without Jian Li.
The other absent guest was Lu Yuanhang. The director couldn't even be bothered to call him, simply making up an excuse and posting it in the livestream announcement.
Standing in the studio, the host smiled as they explained the context and outcome of each clip to the fans.
The editors had done an excellent job of showcasing the guests' agility, endurance, courage, and fighting prowess.
Of course,
the high-maintenance guest whose style was the complete opposite of theirs came across as both stupid and lazy,
scheming endlessly to dodge training,
and even acting as a spy for the wrong side, directly causing the Red Team's crushing defeat.
In his hospital room, Lu Yuanhang stared fixedly at the screen, grinding his teeth in anger.
He wanted to storm onto the set and demand why the director had maliciously edited the investor's younger brother!
But right now, he had to keep pretending to be ill to evade scrutiny from the relevant authorities.
Fuck, this was all that bastard Jian Li's fault.
If he hadn't exposed everything, Brother Lu wouldn't be angry with me!
Soon, as the highlight reel neared its end, fans flooded the livestream with comments.
[Waaah, season one was way too short! I haven't had nearly enough!]
[Brother Li is so hot. He's nothing like that scrawny guy he used to be!]
[I love seeing Brother Li and Brother Xiao together. They're my dream ship!]
[Little Brother Feng is pretty great too. He looks kind of goofy, but he broke Lu Yuanhang's arm twice! So satisfying and hilarious!]
[Wait, am I the only one with a conspiracy theory? Why do those four guests all seem so sneaky? Like they're hiding some shady secret.]
[Me too! Me too! But I'm more interested in Lu Yuanhang! Can they kick him out for season two?!]
[Didn't you read the announcement? Season two is apparently a crossover variety show. They'll be filming jointly with other shows.]
[Haha, did the director get scared?! Afraid of getting shut down again, so he found a few others to go down with him?]
[Anyway, where's my Brother Li? A few days without him feels like years. I miss him so much!]
The host picked out that comment and, speaking on the fans' behalf, said into the microphone, "Like everyone else, I'm very curious about what Brother Li is doing today. Could we connect with him live?"
"What? He's livestreaming right now too?"
"What happened that made Brother Li skip our filming and head out to livestream on location?"
"Everyone, please look at the big screen..."
"Jian Yue, aren't you impressive? You actually got off without any punishment. Didn't even have to write a self-criticism?!"
The fat boy rubbed Jian Yue's head, then grabbed his hair and slammed him into the wall.
There was a bang.
It was clear how much force he'd used.
Jian Yue grunted in pain, but when he raised his head, he remained defiant. "I didn't hit anyone. Why should I write a self-criticism? Just because the teacher takes your side doesn't mean I have to give in!"
"I love that stubborn streak of yours." The fat boy bared his teeth, and someone beside him immediately offered him a cigarette. "Makes this so much more fun."
He took a deep drag, then blew the smoke into Jian Yue's face. "You're right. My mom knows an official on the education board, and she's a parent committee representative. Of course the teacher has to suck up to me. How else would she get named an outstanding teacher at the end of the year?"
"Jian Yue, if you're poor, accept your lot. What good are your grades? Dreaming of some poor kid rising to greatness? That's a fucking joke!"
Before the fat boy even finished speaking, he drove a fist straight into Jian Yue's stomach.
Though Jian Yue tried to endure it, his face still twisted in agony.
Then,
the comments went wild.
[Fuck, fuck, fuck! He's beating someone up in broad daylight?! He's still a student. How vicious is he going to be when he grows up?!]
[Who's this fat kid's mom? Which education board official does she know? Are there any shady deals between them?! Investigate all of it while this unfolds!]
[And that homeroom teacher is an accomplice! Other kids in the class must be getting bullied too. If she won't handle it fairly, she's helping the abusers!]
[Oh my God, I recognize that uniform! Isn't that my old school's?! This scumbag is dragging our school's name through the mud!]
[Don't blur the scumbag's face, okay? You're getting in the way of our cyberbullying!]
[Jian Yue? Jian Li? Is this Brother Li's younger brother? No wonder he didn't show up for filming. He went to stand up for his brother!]
[...]
Judging that the viewers were worked up enough, Jian Li held his phone with one hand, tucked the other into his pocket, and called out, "Hey, what are you guys doing?"
The fat boy turned around. Seeing an unfamiliar face, he barked viciously, "None of your business. Get lost!"
"Jian Yue's my little brother. You tell me if it's my business." Jian Li's lips curved as he slowly approached.
Jian Yue looked up, and for a moment, the golden light behind his brother seemed so dazzling that he could barely look at him.
"So you're this pussy's big brother." The fat boy grew even more arrogant when a family member showed up. Noticing that Jian Li was filming only made him pause for an instant before he signaled to his lackeys behind him. "Go grab his phone!"
Jian Li didn't resist, and the livestream was cut off without a hitch.
He smiled at his little brother, his tone as flippant as ever. "Well, here's a rare chance for a live demonstration."
"Let me show you what it means not to put up with it."
Clutching his stomach, Jian Yue was just about to say, "Run, Brother! There are too many of them!"
But the next second, he watched in stunned disbelief as the fat boy and the others fell to the ground one after another.
"Remember, kick here next time." Jian Li grinned as he kicked. "Not only will it hurt enough to make him cry for his mommy, they won't find any injuries when they examine him."
Jian Yue said, "..."
Holy shit. Since when had my brother
gotten this professional at beating people up?!
Before you continue